4 Days
by atarashiishousetsuka
Summary: Ace Attorney, new case! Miles and Phoenix's business trip to the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the Netherlands, takes a turn for the worse when a member of the International Judicial Committee is murdered. Miles and Phoenix decide to investigate the case, but they are not aware of the fact that they put themselves in danger and that their friendship will be tested...
1. Chapter 1 - 4 February 2029

**4 Days**

 **Chapter 1 – 4 February 2029**

Feeling uncomfortable and totally out of place, Phoenix walked through the electric doors towards the reception desk of the Prosecutor's Office. Snow was lightly falling outside and Phoenix took off the light blue knitted scarf. The sudden warmth inside the building felt like a blanket all over him. A nicely dressed women looked up from her computer and gave him a fake smile, showing her teeth. 'Welcome to the Prosecutor' Office. How can I help you?'

Phoenix swallowed. 'I am here for Edgeworth-Mr. Edgeworth, I mean, and I, err, would like to speak to him.'

She watched his every move. 'And what is your business with Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth?' the women asked him distrustfully while tapping with her finger on the mouse impatiently.

A few months ago, his friend and Chief Prosecutor of Los Angeles Miles Edgeworth was asked to move to the new Los Angeles Prosecutor Office, a different place from where he had his 1202 room previously. It was his first visit to his friend's new workplace and this woman did not seem to recognize or know him as 'the biggest rival of prosecutor Miles Edgeworth'. Phoenix started to fidget.

'He asked me to give him some information on a recent case.'

The receptionist raised an eyebrow. 'A case? What is your name, sir?' She kept being polite despite her obvious distrust.

'Wright. Phoenix Wright.'

'I do not see any appointment with your name in his agenda, sir,' she said to him, followed by 'I am sorry, but I would kindly ask you to leave.'

Phoenix failed to find his own cellphone in one of his pockets. 'Would you please call him for me?' he tried and gave her puppy eyes and an irresistible smile, or so he thought.

She sighed, feeling quite irritated by the situation. _She must have gotten out of her bed on the wrong side,_ Phoenix thought. Then, she moved her hand to the telephone at her right side and pushed some buttons. 'Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth, I have a man here who says he has some business with you.' A short silence. 'His name is Phoenix Wright.' Another silence. 'Yes, I understand. Thank you, sir.' She ended the call and looked back up to him. 'He is able to welcome you in his office, but has a meeting planned at eleven thirty.'

'Alright, thank you. It won't take long.' He stepped away from the reception, but then returned. The same woman gave him an ugly look. 'Err, where is his office?' he tried to ask as nicely as possible.

'Third floor, room one,' she almost spat at him, not looking up again and focusing on the computer in front of her.

'T-thanks.'

Phoenix then quickly travelled upstairs, passing by many men in dark-colored suits. Three neatly dressed ladies at the coffee corner watched his every step until he turned around the corner. It was almost like everyone was able to smell the fact that he was a lawyer. He did not even wear his badge today. But even so, everyone in this building was suspicious of him.

Phoenix took big steps, on the end of the hallway he saw a room number and a familiar name. _Found it!_ The door was already slightly opened. Nevertheless, the gentleman he was, Phoenix knocked on the door and waited for a reply.

'The door is open, come in, Wright.'

'Hi Edgeworth,' Phoenix said and entered the Chief Prosecutor's large office. The walls were from top to bottom filled with casefiles, books and other reading materials. The room had windows on two sides and Phoenix recognized the magenta-colored sofa and Miles's chess set in the corner.

'Wow, this is definitely different from your 1202 office. Already used to it all? Especially that secretary downstairs?' The latter question he softly muttered. Nonetheless, Miles heard it all.

'Mrs. Bloom? She is doing her work perfectly. I cannot complain,' Miles answered and pointed at the fancy leather chair in front of his wooden desk. 'To answer your first question, yes, I am quite used to this place already.'

Phoenix nodded, as in 'that is good to hear'. He then put the large and thick file in front of Miles and sat down on the chair Miles pointed at.

'Here you are, this is what I could find at home about the Tyson case.' Immediately, Miles opened it and looked through.

'Thank you, Wright. I did not expect you to bring this to me that soon. After all, I only asked for it yesterday afternoon.'

'No problem, I had to sort out all the files in my cupboard anyways,' Phoenix replied. 'Next time we meet I will make an appointment with you, your secretary downstairs thought I was some intruder or something,' Phoenix commented.

'That does not surprise me,' Miles joked and looked up with a smug face.

'Thanks a lot,' the spiky-haired man answered dryly and snorted.

'But in all seriousness, I would like to discuss something else with you.' The Chief Prosecutor put the file aside, rested his elbows on his desk and folded his hands together.

'Oh, what is it?'

Miles smirked. There was something Miles knew and he didn't. It was the same smirk as when they stood opposite of each other in the courtroom and Miles was about to announce that he had updated the autopsy report.

'I have a proposal,' the man with the cravat stated. Phoenix looked at his expectantly.

'Tell me. You like how you know something and I don't, right?' Phoenix said amusingly. The smirk on his friend's face became bigger.

'I do indeed. I am asking you if you are willing to come to the Netherlands with me for a few days. There is a special conference at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. It is where the primary judicial branch of the United Nations is located.'

'Are you inviting me to go to Europe?!' Phoenix summarized in disbelief.

'Yes, I am inviting you. I thought it would be nice for you to attend an important event like this.'

'Oh, wow, I- yes, I would love to go. I need to arrange a few things with Truce if I am going, but yeah- wow, awesome. Thanks, Edgeworth.'

'It is nice to hear you are enthusiastic about going. I will make sure my secretary arranges our flight and hotel. It will last four days and the Prosecutor's Office will pay for this trip, so you won't have to worry.'

'Woah, it cannot get better, right? Are there any things I must prepare for?' he asked Miles.

'Not you, no. _I_ do have a presentation to prepare for, though. However, you must remember that this is a very important international conference and includes high ranking members of the judicial branch. It is one of the best and prestige international events concerning law.'

'I am fully aware.'

'Good. I will let you know when the flights are booked.'

'Thanks, Edgeworth. Really, thanks for asking me. I can't wait.' Phoenix was a bit flabbergasted. He could not say full sentences properly.

'You are welcome. Thank you for your information on the Tyson case. I will have a meeting in five minutes on the fifth floor, so we better leave.'

'Yeah, sure. We keep in touch, Edgeworth. Thank you again, I am looking forward to this.'

A small and rare smile appeared on the Chief Prosecutor's face. 'Now let's go, I do not want to be late.'

'Ah sorry, see you Edgeworth.'

'Bye, Wright.' Miles locked the door of his office and the two men separated ways.

* * *

 **A/N**  
Yay! A new Ace Attorney story I started!

 _A big thanks to **confusedsiewmai** , who beta read this chapter! It is really appreciated!_

See you soon in chapter two, pals!


	2. Chapter 2 - 22 February 2029

****4 Days****

 **Chapter 2 – 22 February 2029**

'Have you been to the Netherlands before, Daddy?' Trucy asked and inspected everything that her father gathered on the bed and was planning to take with him on the trip of four days.

'I have been to Germany and Britain before with Edgeworth to get more knowledge about law before I regained my badge, but no, not to the Netherlands,' Phoenix said and tried to fold his shirt with long sleeves. Trucy saw what a disaster it was and grabbed the cloth out of her father's hands, neatly folded it and put it in the suitcase. Her father snickered and patted her head to thank her.

'It is said that they have delicious snacks in the Netherlands. A girl I was in the same class with was Dutch and she once gave me a traditional waffle with syrup in it. It was delicious!'

'Is that so? I will keep that in mind. If I come across them, I'll take them with me for you.'

'Thanks, Daddy.' Phoenix sat down on the edge of the bed where there was still space to sit and gave his daughter a serious expression on his face.

'Will you be alright?'

'I will be fine, Daddy! I am old enough! Athena is almost always here in the office and I have her number in my cellphone. Apollo would even fly back from Kura'in to here if I asked him. You worry too much,' she said and winked at him.

Phoenix let out a laugh. _Yes, Apollo would do that. Gosh, he missed his protégé. And yes, I know I worry too much. But you are my little girl, Truce._ 'But if something happens, first call Apollo and Athena or our nice neighbor. My phone will also always be turned on.' Trucy nodded and continued to fold the other shirts on the pile.

'I think it is nice of Uncle Miles to ask you to join him,' she then commented.

'Yes, it is. He could have decided to just go alone, but I think he remembered how interested I was in the lectures about law during our previous trip to Europe.'

'I really hope you have a nice time and go sightseeing as well if there is time.'

'We'll see, sweetheart,' Phoenix answered, patted her head again and left his bedroom to prepare dinner.

* * *

Miles had sent him his iFly ticket per mail and all the information of their trip. He would be picked up by a taxi and brought to the airport. There he would meet Miles and together they would fly to Schiphol, Amsterdam airport. From there they would again take a taxi to their hotel in The Hague. Phoenix smiled and how detailed everything was. That was Miles: everything perfect and clear.

The taxi driver rang his doorbell at exactly one in the morning, as Miles had told him. Phoenix was bored during the ride, even though the driver tried to have a conversation. It was early or late -whatever you feel like- and he was feeling just a little bit anxious. Flying was not something he did often, let alone going out of the country. Trucy had waved at him until he wasn't able to see her anymore when he turned around the corner of the street. He knew his daughter would be fine. She was a teenager, a young lady and almost a grown-up. Phoenix sighed as he became aware of the fact that his daughter would someday leave him and start her own dependent life. It made him sadder than he had thought it would.

* * *

Miles was already waiting in the entrance hall. He sat on one of the benches with a newspaper and the lawyer spotted him in a second. The man was so absorbed that he only saw Phoenix when he stood right in front of him.

'Pardon me, this was quite an intriguing article,' he apologized and put the paper away.

'Are you ready to go?' Phoenix asked the silver-haired man and sat down next to him.

'Yes, I am. I have finished the presentation and only need to go over my script.'

'Good to hear. I am curious to see what you have prepared.'

'You will see,' Miles smirked, not letting go any other information. 'Shall we check in?'

'Sure, we are definitely on time but you never know how long checking in and scanning bags and suitcases will take.'

* * *

Phoenix blinked a few times with his eyes and then opened them slowly. Next to him he saw Miles reading a book. His hair hung forwards and he seemed once again absorbed in one of his reading materials. Only when Phoenix sat up straight, Miles looked in his direction.

'Slept well? You definitely snored a lot.'

'Sorry. You are not the only one complaining, Trucy always closes our doors to minimize the noise I made,' the lawyer said amusingly.

'I can imagine that. I remember sleeping in another room when you and Larry stayed over when we were young. You both were horrible snorers.' Miles sounded nostalgic and Phoenix was actually surprised how well Miles remembered this event from their childhood. He had not expected him to.

'What time is it? How long have I slept?' Phoenix then asked and Miles looked at his silver watch.

'We have been flying for five hours. You slept around two and a half hours.'

'Why don't you sleep as well? I will wake you when we get there,' the lawyer told Miles. Being Chief Prosecutor meant large piles of paper on your desk and hours of overwork. _A break would not hurt him, it would do Miles pretty well_ , Phoenix thought.

'No, it's alright. I prefer to be awake during flight in case something happens.'

'Something like turbulence?' Phoenix guessed. He knew how a shaking airplane could give the similar feeling as an earthquake. Miles only nodded and returned to his book.

Only after a while Phoenix spoke up. 'You know, you just spoke about our sleepover at your place when we were young. I am surprised you remember that.'

'I must have remembered it because it occurred at my house,' Miles replied.

'Do you remember a lot from our childhood?' Phoenix watched Miles with curiosity.

'Well, not everything obviously, but I do have memories, of course.'

'Do you remember that one time we went on camp with our class?'

'And you lost your torch and would not let me go because you were afraid you would get lost alone in the forest around the camp house?'

'…yes, wow.' In awe of his recollection of that memory, Phoenix's mouth fell almost open.

'What?'

'N-nothing, I am just surprised how good your memory is.'

'What brings you to this reminiscing?' Miles asked him and closed his book after putting the bookmark between the right pages.

'You mentioned it first, you know,' Phoenix said. 'And I am just curious how much you remember,' he added.

'It is not like Von Karma could erase them all. I may have found them useless memories in the period I stayed with him, but now I remember them as fond memories.' Phoenix nodded and saw how the flight attendant was coming down the aisle towards them with the food cart.

'Do you want something to eat or drink, Edgeworth?'

'Some water, please.'

Phoenix ordered their drinks and saw how Miles had his eyes closed when he turned back to him. He smiled and silently put Miles's water in the cupholder.

When Miles just had fallen asleep, he was suddenly woken up by the voice of the pilot who announced that they would soon be landing in Amsterdam.

Phoenix was watching him with a grin. 'Naw, I wish you could just sleep for a while. You must not have a lot of time to do so with your job as a Chief Prosecutor.'

'I am fine,' Miles answered with slight embarrassment. He did not like the idea of people around him while he was asleep. He drank the water in one go and then looked outside. The green plots of land was all he saw. He was curious to see if the Netherlands differed a lot from Germany, where he had lived his teenage years. During these years, he and and Franziska, the daughter of his mentor, spent most of their time studying in the great mansion. There was no time to play in the city, and definitely not abroad. The only time he went outside of Germany was to Austria when his mentor wanted Miles to attend one of his trials where he would be prosecuting. The next time abroad was the United States and after that many other countries, but not the Netherlands. He knew that some aspects in the language where similar, but not the same.

'Do not forget to put on your belt, Edgeworth,' Phoenix told him and brought Miles back from his thoughts to reality.

Both men fastened their seatbelt and waited for the plane to safely land on soil again.

* * *

After a quiet taxi ride of around three quarters of an hour, the two clearly tired men walked to the reception desk of the four-star hotel. 'Good afternoon, we have booked two rooms for four days under the name Edgeworth.'

The man at the desk checked his information and nodded. 'Yes, here I have your key cards for your two hotel rooms, number nineteen and twenty. They are located at the end of the hallway of the second floor. You can take the elevator there in the corner.'

'Is there also a staircase?' Miles asked the man.

'Ah, yes, it is next to the elevator. You will see it immediately.'

'Alright, thank you.'

'Also, breakfast is served from half past six to ten o'clock and the restaurant for dinner is open from half past five to ten. The day you leave you need to check out before eleven o' clock.'

'That is all totally clear. Thank you for the information,' Miles thanked the man and handed Phoenix one of the key cards.

'That is a lot of different times we need to remember,' the lawyer commented. 'Do you want me to take our suitcases upstairs with the elevator, Edgeworth?' Phoenix asked him when his eye fell on Miles' silver-colored one. Miles first looked at him in surprise but then nodded when he understood why the lawyer asked him the question.

'If it is no trouble for you, yes please.'

'No, not at all!' Phoenix rolled both suitcases to the elevator and pushed the button for 'up'.

Miles was already waiting for him when the doors of the elevator opened and together they began their search for the numbers nineteen and twenty.

'Here they are.'

'Well, what do you want to do?' Phoenix asked him.

'Unpack. Perhaps you want to lay down for a while before we eat something?'

'Yes, I can use some rest,' the lawyer admitted.

'So, the Dutch time is now around five in the afternoon. Shall we eat downstairs at around seven o'clock?' Miles proposed.

'Sounds like a perfect plan to me.'

Both men used their keycards to open the door to their rooms. Phoenix immediately fell down on the bed and kicked the shoes from his feet. He sighed and fell asleep perhaps a minute after plopping down. Next door, Miles sat on his bed. He was exhausted as he did not sleep at all on the plane. He hung his cravat and jacket on a hanger in the closet and put his neatly polished shoes underneath. He then lay down and waited for his eyelids to become too heavy to keep them open.

* * *

 **A/N**

Again, I want to express my gratitude to **confusedsiewmai** , who beta read this chapter!

Righto, see you in chapter three, pals! :D


	3. Chapter 3 - 23 February 2029, Part 1

**4 Days**

 **Chapter 3 - 23 February 2029, Part 1**

Just when Phoenix finished tying his shoelaces, he heard a soft knock on his door. It was still early and he rubbed his eyes with his fists before heading to the door.

'Good morning, Wright. Are you ready for breakfast?' Miles asked him when the door was opened, but his eyes immediately drifted to Phoenix's hair. 'Not yet, I see,' he stated and then snorted at the sight.

'Yeah, sorry about that. Give me one more minute.' Phoenix rushed to the bathroom and modeled his hair. It was spiky, yes, but without some gel it really seemed like a disaster. Miles leaned against the door and reminded Phoenix to take his hotel room key card before he left. It was something that could be lost easily. Yes, he was forgetful, and especially in the morning.

* * *

After filling their plates at the morning buffet, the two men sat down at a table in the corner of the breakfast area. 'I look forward to these four days. They may be a little busy, but it somehow it feels like a relaxed holiday as well,' Phoenix spoke.

'Don't be too relaxed,' the man opposite warned him.

'Ah, no, no, don't worry. By the way, you told me that you have to give a presentation. That is today, right?' Phoenix asked before took a bite of his scrambled eggs.

'Yes, at half past eleven.' Miles looked up from his plate.

'Are you nervous? There must be lots of people there, including high-ranking people as you told me earlier.'

Miles smirked confidently. 'I am not anxious, Wright. I have given quite a number of presentations over the years, especially these last few months as Chief Prosecutor.' With knife and fork, the man with silver hair cut his sandwich into pieces.

'So, what is the presentation about? Did they give you a subject or case you need to elaborate on?'

'No, I was free to choose, although it had to be approved of by the head of the International Judicial Committee. I have decided to speak about my analysis on the Shelly de Killer, the hitman I have encountered in a couple of cases. It is more psychologically orientated than the subjects that I usually research, but nonetheless very interesting.'

'That case wherein he killed Juan Corrida on request of Matt Engarde and kidnapped Maya took place more than ten years ago, but I still remember it like it happened yesterday.' Phoenix sighed and reached for his glass with orange juice.

'Despite that case being over a decade old, it gives insight into a killer's ways of thinking and this can help us in future similar cases,' Miles began. 'Think back to the case. We had to think of ways to make sure Shelly de Killer did what we wanted while he thought he had the upper hand. Well, I must say that I still feel relieved that the case with Maya ended well. It was nerve-wracking.'

'I will look forward to seeing how you will present your analysis of the case. It will be quite a throwback for me, well, both of us, right?'

'Yes, but I would like to think about how this certain case have made us stronger and given us new knowledge and life experiences,' Miles replied, giving the man opposite a glance. Phoenix could only nod to that, because Miles was right. It had reminded him to value his family and friends even more.

* * *

A taxi brought Miles and Phoenix to the entrance of the Peace Palace, where the International Court of Justice of the UN was located. Steel fences were put along the road of the building and every fifteen meters a police officer inspected the area. 'The security measures already tell me enough,' Phoenix stated when they stepped out the vehicle. Miles replied with a hum and took two papers from his briefcase. 'These are our invitations, you cannot get in without one.'

In the entrance hall were a few security guards welcoming the guests. After a bag and body search, ID verification and showing the invitation cards, the two men finally entered the building. The main hall was simply breath-taking, the beautiful neo-renaissance characteristics were seen everywhere. Using a marble staircase, they walked up to the first floor. Together with some other invited guests, they followed a female guide who brought them to the right room. Still in awe, Phoenix walked through the rows of chairs. Eventually, he sat down on the seat that was assigned to him by a card with his name on it.

'This is fantastic,' he said to Miles and pointed at the stained glass windows opposite of them. One had the image of a loving mother with her small child in white and blue, while in another one a threatening armoured soldier was portrayed in red.

'I agree with you, it is indeed quite exquisite. The detail was just sublime,' the prosecutor replied sincerely and made himself comfortable in the chair next to his friend.

'Mr. Miles Edgeworth?' Miles turned around in his chair. 'Hello, I am a member of the conference's organization. I heard that you will be giving a presentation at half past eleven. Would you be so kind as to prepare the file of your presentation on the laptop there in the front, so we can start immediately once it is your turn?'

'Ah, yes, of course.'

Now that Miles had left, Phoenix had the chance to take a look around him. Somehow he felt so ordinary in the presence of all these other people. He watched a heavy-looking man with a moustache pass by his row. Two women sat down in the row behind him, talking in Spanish. It was as the name said, indeed an international conference. Besides Spanish, he also heard English, German, Russian and many other languages which he could not distinguish. But luckily for him, English would be the main language of this conference.

The welcome speech and explanation of the four-days-conference program took around an hour. They said would include many aspects of law and justice: from genocide, human trafficking of refugees, serial killers to the newest information on forensic technology. After that, a woman gave a short explanation of the history of the International Court of Justice in The Hague and what it did for the United Nations. It was something that Phoenix was not that interested in, because it was Miles' turn after she was done speaking. He looked forward to it, as he had never seen a presentation by the Chief Prosecutor.

Finally, the next guest speaker was about to be announced. Miles had left his seat a few minutes earlier and stood behind the large podium.

'Please put your hands together for our next speaker, Chief Prosecutor Miles Edgeworth from Los Angeles!' Phoenix saw how Miles shook the hand of the host and walked to the laptop on the lecture stand.

First, Miles told about himself. He started prosecuting at twenty years old and became a Chief Prosecutor in December 2026. He then introduced the first case of Shelly de Killer by showing an image of the man's calling card.

'As you can see, this man was a hired assassin who wanted a distinctive element to make sure his work was known and people would recognize him. It is also a message to potential hirers that he did the job like he promised to do. For Shelly de Killer, this element was his card he left near the bodies.'

Miles continued to talk about some psychological concepts and Phoenix tried to remember them in order to impress Athena once he would be back at home.

'In my earlier years as a prosecutor, I was involved in a case wherein Shelly de Killer had been hired to commit a murder on an actor. However, in order to make sure the hirer, his client, was not put under suspicion, Shelly kidnapped the female companion of his client's lawyer. Shelly then demanded the lawyer to get a not guilty verdict in trade for the life of the woman. Both the defense and prosecution worked together to eventually put the hirer, and a few years later also Shelly, behind bars and to free the hostage. But how can we psychologically explain his devotion to being a hitman and how did we finally catch him years later? I made an analysis which can be applied to other cases and similar ones in the future.'

Phoenix intensely watched his friend and colleague point things out on the projector's screen, move his hands and sometimes walk from one side to another. _He is a total professional_ , Phoenix thought with a little pride.

It was indeed a throwback which made Phoenix feel various emotions. The case had changed him and after hearing Miles' presentation, he was sure it had impacted the 'cold-hearted demon prosecutor', as Miles was called, as well.

Eventually, an hour had passed and Miles showed his last slide.

'Thank you all for your attention.' The sentence was followed by a long applause, and the head of the organization thanked Miles and announced that lunch was served in the next room. After removing the microphone from the right side of his face, the prosecutor returned to his seat. Phoenix was eagerly waiting for him.

'Wow, that was very impressive, Edgeworth. You did fantastic, you know.'

'Thank you, Wright,' Miles answered. A small smile could be seen on the man's face and Phoenix gave him a warm smile back.

During the lunch, a handful of people approached them. Well, mostly Miles. They were clearly interested in his activities and Miles elaborated a bit further on questions which were asked. Phoenix decided not to disturb and thus found his way to the long table of fancy sandwiches in the next room.

After finishing the lunch, some experts held a presentation about the punishment of high ranked generals in the Middle East. It was not really Phoenix's cup of tea, but nonetheless interesting to hear. At the end of the afternoon, the head of the International Judicial Committee thanked the speakers and guests and said he was looking forward to see everyone again the next day.

* * *

'I cannot wait to eat, my stomach is empty and protesting again despite the luxurious lunch we had,' the spiky-haired man said, rubbed his belly and opened the entrance door of the hotel. A man exited first before they could enter. 'Let me change my clothes first,' Miles replied and set foot inside.

'Excuse me, are you Mr. Miles Edgeworth that spoke at the UN conference earlier?'

Surprised, Miles turned around and looked into the eyes of a man of around his age, but a bit taller. It was the same man who just exited the hotel. His hair was combed back and his red tie was slightly crooked. 'Who is asking?' Miles asked cautiously.

'Pardon me, my name is Robert Klein, a new member of the IJC, the International Judicial Committee.' The man quickly got out a business card and handed it to Miles. 'I saw your presentation this morning and I just wanted to say that I was impressed and enjoyed your speech.'

'Your feedback is appreciated. It is good to hear you were interested in my presentation.' Miles looked for his business card holder in his breast pocket. 'It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Klein,' he said as he handed his own card to the man in the black suit.

'Thank you,' he said and took it from Miles' hand. 'I see you are also staying in this hotel? It is lovely isn't it? I am currently residing in room thirty one, I have a beautiful view over the skyline of the Hague, especially in the evening. The man offered a hand and Miles shook it. 'Oh my, I have already talked too much, I have to go now. It was nice meeting you, perhaps we will see each other again the next few days.'

'Likewise,' Miles answered with a soft smile. Mr. Klein gave him a nod and hurried away from the prosecutor and lawyer to the parking lot.

'It seems he is enjoying his stay in the same hotel. He is quite a talker, too,' Phoenix commented and stepped inside the hotel. 'Anyways, it is quite a compliment you got there,' he then told his friend.

'Yes, I am glad we met and that I got some positive feedback from a member of the committee,' the prosecutor replied neutrally.

Miles and Phoenix walked to the staircase together. Taking the stairs was no nuisance for Phoenix at all. _Adjusting himself to the prosecutor was something that a friend simply did, right?_

'Do you think we will have any time for sightseeing at least once these d-' Phoenix could not finish his sentence. Suddenly, four deafening sounds entered their ears. They followed each other very shortly, and almost immediately, it was quiet again. However, the short sounds were enough to make both men's blood run cold. Miles recognized the sound, like he heard it only yesterday. The hairs on his arms stood upright. He could not be mistaken. 'G-gunshots!' he managed to speak and as fast as he could, Miles turned his head to the lawyer. Phoenix said nothing and only watched him with a horrified expression.

'I-it sounded like it c-came from outside,' Phoenix stuttered after a moment. Both stood frozen to their spots, while some guests near the entrance ran into the restaurant. The receptionist immediately hid himself underneath the counter.

Suddenly everything was silent. 'I-it was outside,' Phoenix commented again with a racing heart. 'You okay?' he then softly asked Miles, whose face was as white as a sheet. The prosecutor took a few breaths and nodded.

'It was very sudden. I was taken by surprise,' was the only thing he could say.

'We all were,' the lawyer commented.

'Someone could have been shot.' Miles was getting back to reality.

'Should we-?'

'The shooter could still be there, Wright!'

'Then...what?! Someone could be hurt, or even d-dead!'

'We need to calm down and call the emergency number, o-ok?' Miles spoke slowly and tried to think rationally.

'Do you know the emergency number around here?'

'We ask the receptionist to call. Come,' Miles hastily told him and hurried to the reception counter. 'Sir!?'

The man carefully stuck his head from underneath the desk. 'Call the emergency number, quickly!' Miles ordered and saw how the man anxiously grabbed the phone from the top of the desk, and stuttered when finally hearing someone on the other end of the line.

'He should lock the door. Perhaps the s-shooter will come inside,' Phoenix then suddenly commented. The receptionist nodded and with shaking hands, slowly got the keys from a drawer under the counter.

'Hurry! Give it to me!' Miles demanded with a loud voice, and hurried to the entrance doors. Phoenix followed him with big eyes. _For god's sake, which key?!_ In frustration and with sudden flow of adrenaline through his body, he forced every key in the lock. _No, not this one. Come on! The third one? Finally!_ With sweat on his forehead, he locked the doors and returned to the public hall. He tossed the keys back on the counter and deeply sighed a few times.

'Let's sit down and wait here, ok?' Phoenix proposed and sat down on the sofa near the entrance. His heartbeat was still fast, but his breathing returned to normal. The prosecutor quietly took place next to him. They were both silent, trying to calm down. No one knew what had just happened outside. _Was someone hurt? Multiple people?_ Both men had the same thoughts.

When finally the sound of sirens came closer, Miles and Phoenix dared to step towards the entrance door. 'Police, open this door!'

'The police!' the receptionist announced, sighing in relief and left his hiding spot.

Miles carefully used the metal keys again to open the door and immediately saw a man in uniform. 'Everyone should stay here! A body has been found.' As fast as the man came, as fast he was gone again.

'T-they found a body,' the man behind the counter spoke with a stuttering voice. 'Oh no,' Miles murmured slowly. 'I have a very bad feeling about this.' The two opened the door a little further and peeked outside. People had gathered at the parking lot, police officers were holding people back from the crime scene while ambulance personnel crouched down at a body.

'I can't see what is going on,' Miles said. 'Do you?' He glanced at Phoenix, who caught a glimpse of the victim's face. Phoenix turned back to Miles, his face all pale and sweat on his forehead despite the weather outside being below zero degrees.

'What is it?! I-it's not..-,' Miles asked him in slight panic. Phoenix stared at him, a horrified expression on his face and he almost forgot to breathe. His head then slowly went up and down.

'I-it's him.'

* * *

 **A/N**

I want to thank beta reader **confusedsiewmai** again for helping and pointing out language mistakes!

I believe that Shelly de Killer was eventually caught later in the 2020s. This is not confirmed, but there is still so much we do know about the old characters as they were not mentioned in AA5 and AA6. I will add more of my own ideas in further chapters, also about other characters.

I have decided that it will be best to now fully write out the detailed outline of the story first, before uploading more chapters. Although I have finished writing chapters 4-6 already and have an outline of the story, it is becoming quite a complicated case. This means that I have to make sure I have covered all details in the chapters. Also, I have a test on the 2nd of July, so I need to concentrate on that too. Please have a little more patience. Once I have holidays and covered the whole story/outline including details, I will be able to write the chapters in a quicker pace.

Thank you for reading and your patience, and see you in the chapter four, pals!


	4. Chapter 4 - 23 February 2029, Part 2

**4 Days**

 **Chapter 4 - 23 February 2029, Part 2**

It was February and thus the sun set down early. The parking lot was being secured with red-white-colored police tape and lamps were put in place to help the forensics to do their work properly. A few other policemen dragged a white tent to cover the crime scene. Guests had took a peek, but most of them had returned to the hotel. Miles and Phoenix still stood outside, a bit further away from the suddenly busy place.

'I can't believe that man is dead... w-we just spoke to him!' a confused Phoenix let out, shaking his head in unbelief.

Miles replied with a sound of agreement and got a glance of the man covered with a white cloth on the ground around thirty meters away. The ambulance was already present, but shortly afterwards a car of the forensic research team arrived. It was clear that the victim of this crime had not survived his attack.

'Please get out of the way.' A man with a brown leather coat and short red hair suddenly approached them. He seemed a little overweight and he wiggled a bit like a penguin when he walked towards the lawyer and the prosecutor. He attached the end of the police tape to the light pole near them and confidently put his hands on his hips. A big mole was present on his chin and difficult to unsee for both of them. Phoenix felt like he was trying to intimidate them with his attitude and turned to his friend.

'What did he say?' he softly asked the prosecutor, not understanding a word of what the man had just said in Dutch.

'Are you from the police?' Miles asked the arrogant looking man in English. That caused an expression of surprise on the man's face.

'Tourists? Hm, I told you to get out of the way. This is now a crime scene, not some attraction,' he repeated, now in English. Phoenix raised him eyebrows in surprise. Without saying anything else, the red-haired man turned around to leave and wiggle back.

'I believe we were the last ones who spoke to him right before he was killed,' Miles suddenly said. That made the man stand still.

'Is that so?' he asked and returned to Phoenix and Miles, suspicious of the two foreigners who apparently knew more.

'Are you from the police?' Miles asked him again, clearly on guard.

'Yes, I am inspector Michiel de Koning, currently in charge of this murder.' The man showed him a badge as evidence.

'I see. My name is Miles Edgeworth, I am the Chief Prosecutor of the Los Angeles district.' He turned to his friend. 'This is Phoenix Wright, attorney at law.'

'Well well, why are you here in The Hague?' Inspector De Koning asked them.

'We are taking part in the conference of the International Court of Justice of the United Nations in the Peace Palace today. Just when we wanted to enter the hotel, Mr. Klein said how he enjoyed my presentation and we exchanged business cards. I am sure you will find mine on him. And that...is how we met half an hour ago,' Miles summarized. The inspector looked at a wallet that was put in a plastic bag. _Likely, Mr. Klein's,_ Phoenix deduced.

Inspector De Koning watched Miles intensely and then turned to Phoenix.

'You have never met the victim Robert Klein before this short meeting earlier?'

'N-no, it's just like Edgeworth said. We just met him,' Phoenix replied to the intimidating inspector.

'Multiple shots were reported. Is that true?'

'Yes, I heard around four of them, if I am not mistaken,' Miles took over. Phoenix intensely glanced at the man, well to be honest, his big mole. _Huh? suddenly his nostrils seemed quite large as well. He has some characteristics of a pig_ , Phoenix thought amusingly.

'And where were you two when you heard them?'

'In the hotel at the staircase. We wanted to go to our hotel rooms. We passed the reception desk, the receptionist must have seen us. After we heard shots, we told him to call the emergency number, and no one left or entered the hotel until you came. We were at the reception area the whole time.'

'Is there anything that stood out when you two met him?' Both men thought about it for a moment.

'No, he left the hotel. He did not say where he was going,' Miles answered. 'The only useful thing he told us was that he was part of the International Judicial Committee, the highest judicial branch from the UN.'

'Interesting,' was the one thing the inspector said and rubbed his chin. He signed to a lady in uniform who stood near the police car to come to him.

'When do you plan to fly back to Los Angeles?'

'The conference is from the twenty-third till the twenty-sixth of February. Our flights are booked for the early morning of the twenty-seventh.'

'You called me, sir?' the Dutch women asked her boss. The female officer looked like she was in her mid-twenties and her straight black hair was tied up in a long ponytail. The makeup on her face was not extreme, but clearly visible and well-adjusted to the color of her skin and her dark brown eyes. She was holding her small notebook while tapping on the cover with a pen.

'Yes, these two men from Los Angeles who have spoken to the victim right before he was murdered. Make sure you get their contact info and write down the day that they leave. After that, go to the hotel and ask the guests what they saw. Make sure to get a list of all the hotel guests. I think I have asked everything I want to know for now, I am on my way to the forensic experts.'

'Understood, sir.' The inspector did not even say goodbye to Miles and Phoenix and walked away. The police woman turned in their direction.

'Hello, I'm police officer Bianca Wilson,' she said a little bit too enthusiastically. 'I was asked to write down your personal information for when we still have questions concerning this case and want to contact you two,' she said in perfect English. Phoenix raised an eyebrow. She sounded like a native speaker. The young women saw the surprised look on his face. 'My father is from England,' she laughed.

'Ah, yes,' Phoenix laughed shyly and scratched the back of his neck.

'I'll give you my business card, that'll be easier,' Miles suddenly said and handed it to Ms. Wilson.

'Oh, okay, thank you.' With a smile, she took his card and inspected it. She nodded when she saw that it had all information which she wanted. The female officer then expectantly looked at Phoenix.

'Oh, yes, sorry!' Somewhere in his pockets he found a slightly wrinkled business card.

She scanned the text and her mouth slightly opened. 'THE MR. PHOENIX WRIGHT, THE LAWYER?!' she almost screamed in surprise. Ms. Wilson's eyes grew bigger and she came closer to inspect him.

'Y-yes?' Phoenix stammered in slight shock.

'Oh my god! Nice to meet you! My little sister is a studying law and wants to become a defense lawyer! She talks about you all the time!' Ms. Wilson's eyes were shining in admiration. She grabbed his hands and shook it almost violently. Phoenix speechlessly turned his head to Miles, who had a similar blank expression on his face.

'I am sorry for not recognizing you earlier! Oh she has to hear this!'

'Yes… erm...Ms. Wilson, could you tell us where he was shot?' the lawyer then asked. Her enthusiasm suddenly turned into a slightly sad face and she avoided the lawyer's eyes.

'I-I cannot tell you, sir. I am really sorry!'

'You really can't?' Phoenix tried and pretended to be slightly insulted. The woman bit her lip.

She looked at him for a few seconds and then held her hand to one side of the face and whispered, 'I'll tell only you what I saw, ok? Never mention to anyone that I told you.' Phoenix nodded.

'Deal. My lips are sealed, Ms. Wilson.'

'From what I could see earlier is that he was probably shot in the heart at least once. Especially the right chest area of his coat was drenched in blood. I cannot give you an estimate of the distance he was shot. The forensics just began their investigation and I am not an expert at all. I can't say anything more.'

'Well, I understand. Thank you, we'll keep our mouths shut,' Phoenix assured her, smiled and said his goodbyes. Ms. Wilson waved them goodbye and started making notes in her writing block.

'Your acting skills did for once come in handy,' Miles commented dryly when they walked to the other side of the parking lot. 'She believed you were very disappointed in her.'

'Hey! _Did once come in handy?!_ I know how to act! I chose a theater minor during my art study before I changed to law! ' Phoenix told him with a grin at the end.

'Yes, drama suits you,' Miles counterattacked and smirked.

Phoenix snorted as a reply. 'It is the result that counts, not how, Edgeworth. We managed to get to know where he was shot and from how many meters away. We got our answer.'

'That's true. Well, do you want to return to the hotel's restaurant? I recall that your 'stomach was protesting',' Miles said with a smirk.

'Err, I suddenly do not feel hungry anymore now right after this murder.' The prosecutor amusingly watched his friend. 'Aren't you interested to know more about his death? You seem like it,' Phoenix then said.

'Me? You are the one here being nosy, Wright. It was not me asking about his gunshot wound,' Miles told him and wagged his finger.

'Well, okay, I am interested, I admit. It is only human nature to be curious. The man was shot right after we met him, after all. Just a little asking does not hurt, right?' Miles glanced at him. _Am I willing to let me drag in all this? It is not my case, it is that pig-like man who is in charge_ , the prosecutor thought _. But what has happened? Gosh, I hate to be curious sometimes. Yes, Wright knows me well, I am definitely interested. However, I have this feeling that we should not involve ourselves in this case. We are here for business. Everytime I go somewhere something bad happens. Do I have some kind of curse?!_ Miles thought and sighed.

'We can ask the woman standing outside that house,' Phoenix suggested and looked in the direction of the woman. 'It seems she lives opposite of the crime scene. Perhaps she knows something.' Miles gave him one of his infamous intense glances, one that almost seemed to go through him. He looked slightly annoyed, but then after a minute, he spoke up.

'... fine. But we only ask her, this is not our case, Wright.' Phoenix nodded.

'Alright.'

Miles then looked for something in his breast pocket. 'Where is it?'

'What is?'

'Here,' he said with satisfaction when he found the item and showed Phoenix what he was looking for. It was the business card of Mr. Klein which included a small passport photo. It could help them in their conversation with witnesses about the victim.

'Aha, lucky us!' Phoenix exclaimed. 'Good thinking, Edgeworth.'

'I remembered it had a photo.' Miles smugly moved the business card between his thumb and index finger. 'Huh, what in the-?' There were now two things in his hand. _A business card… and what is this?_ He took the unknown item in his other hand. The two men looked down at it.

'It's... a hotel key card,' Phoenix stated.

'Well, it isn't mine. I put it in my wallet,' Miles replied.

'Then...I think that when Mr. Klein gave you this business card, he accidently also gave you his hotel key card. They must have stuck together unintentionally.'

'Hm… I'd say the same. It sounds like a logical conclusion. I'll keep it with me for now, we can give it back to the receptionist when we get back inside,' Miles commented. Phoenix said nothing back, but only had a mysterious expression on his face.

'Alright, let's go now,' the lawyer then spoke and walked away to the houses opposite.

'Hello, Miss. May we ask you a few questions?' Phoenix asked the nosy lady who stood in the front garden. She was around her late-fifties and inspected everything that happened opposite of her house.

'You police?' She asked in bad English. The lady was not convinced as the police always spoke Dutch, and these two obviously did not. 'No, we are friends of the victim,' Miles said.

'Victim?' The woman seemed puzzled.

'The man who is dead. We are his friends,' the prosecutor tried to explain in easier words.

'Ah! Friend of dead man! Yes, man just killed!'

'Yes, yes, have you seen him before?' Miles showed the small photo on Mr. Klein's business card. She grabbed the card from Miles' hand and held it close to her face to be able to see it. After a short moment, she nodded.

'Yes, man often come. Here hotel. Weeks before too,' she tried in broken English. Her salt-and-pepper colored hair was blown in her face by the strong and cold wind.

'He came here often? Not just for this conference?' Miles muttered to himself. 'Did you see the murder take place?'

'Murder not see,' she answered and shook her head, now putting her hair in a ponytail. Miles sighed and thought what other questions he could ask the woman. The lady watched Miles intensely and giggled. She then got a hold of the sleeve of his long coat and tried to drag him to her frontdoor.

'You coffee? You man beautiful and sexy!' she exclaimed randomly, pulling his sleeve even harder.

Phoenix had never seen his friend blush that much. His head almost turned into a tomato. Dumbfounded and in shock, Miles glanced at the older lady and was frozen to his spot. Phoenix could not hold in his laughter and had to grab the wooden fence of the little garden to prevent from falling down.

'N-no, t-thank you,' Miles then stuttered and tried to get his arm back. We'll l-leave now.' He did not know how fast he had to get away from the place. Phoenix followed him in the direction of the hotel.

'Well, Edgeworth, you got yourself another fan,' the spiky-haired lawyer teased and still laughed loudly, holding his stomach.

'Shut it, Wright,' Miles hissed at him, still with a flushed face. He was unwantedly reminded of this old unpleasant hag who, during his early career as a prosecutor, sent him presents and thought of ridiculous nicknames for him. _Wendy Oldbag_. He felt chills down his spine. 'I don't even like coffee,' he then muttered under his breath. The irritation was clearly visible on his face. 'Let's see what we can do now. Let's go inside. We have been outside for too long now in this winter weather,' Miles proposed, changing the subject completely. Phoenix only chuckled and followed Miles the tomato back inside the hotel.

* * *

 **A/N**

Thanks to beta reader confusedsewmai for checking this chapter!

And thank you for reading this story! Hope you enjoyed it!

See you pals in chapter five! :D


	5. Chapter 5 - 23 February 2029, Part 3

**4 Days**

 **Chapter 5 - 23 February 2029, Part 3**

'Wright, you really are insane! We cannot do this! You know that!'

'Come on, Edgeworth, trust me! I have done this before.'

'I refuse to participate in your criminal activities!'

'So, shall I give the lady who lives opposite your phone number, so you two can get to know each other, hm?'

'Don't you dare blackmail me, Wright!' Miles almost yelled in displeasure. 'That woman…! Ngoooh...she is just like that witch Oldbag!'

'That's why. You let her walk free, so this is your second chance!' Phoenix joked, pretending to be serious. The two stood at the staircase of their floor. Miles' face had becoming slightly red in frustration.

'We are not involved in this investigation. If they come to know we did this, we could be arrested for breaking in! You are dragging me into this!' Miles whispered at him, pointing at the lawyer.

'I know you. You are interested in this case, he was shot right after we spoke him, after all. And… you don't want that lovely lady to know your number, right?' Phoenix replied playfully and walked up the hotel's staircase to the fourth floor.

Miles grunted and shook with his head, but followed nevertheless. 'This is not wise, Wright. You know it. Taking risks. This is exactly why you fell in that stupid riv-' the prosecutor began but swallowed the end of the sentence. _He could have been dead…_ Miles swallowed. Despite the dirty trick Phoenix was using on him, bringing that up was not okay. _It just slipped out._ Phoenix watched him, but ignored that Miles had said the last bit.

'I can go in alone while you watch if anyone is coming?' the lawyer proposed. 'No one will notice, it is quiet and empty here in the hallways. There is not even CCTV here, see? If we want to do it, it needs to be now before the police are done with examining the body and decide to start searching here.'

'Seriously, you are going to be the end of me, Wright. You used to snoop around like this with Maya as well, didn't you?'

'Yeah,' he answered with no shame. 'Ah, here it is.' He got out his leather winter gloves and put them on before touching the door. He bowed forward and slid the keycard in the slot of the lock. Miles again made sounds of disbelief, distress and irritation, and eventually sighed. 'I am surprised you are not arrested yet for breaking in or actions of that sort through your career.'

'We'll give the key card back to the receptionist after we took a look, alright? We could say we found it earlier today at the staircase or something.'

'You are such a bad liar. Did I even agree to this? No, I am very sure I didn't,' he said to himself out loud when he closed the door of hotel room number thirty-one with his elbow. The card had no number on it, but Mr. Klein had told them earlier that he appreciated the view of the room with this certain number.

'You're curious, right? Otherwise you wouldn't have come in.'

'A man standing outside a room doing nothing would be even more suspicious, don't you think?!' Miles replied harshly, not amused of the fact he was made fun of and threatened by his rival in court. _Oh god, no. Another woman stalking is the last thing I want. It would mean I have to change my number once again and notify everyone. I hope your daughter is not like you in this aspect. I am curious, yes, but this…_ _Ngoooh_ , _Wright, you...!_ Miles sighed loudly in distress and slight anger.

Phoenix looked around in search for something unusual with a little smile on his face. His eyes first drifted to the window.

'He has indeed quite a nice view, but not extraordinary, to be honest.'

'Let's be quick, Wright. Keep your gloves on,' Miles warned with his arms crossed, still in a very bad mood

'I can take some photos with your phone.'

'Use your _own_ , Wright.'

'My camera is battered, you know I still have a phone from the stone age,' Phoenix reminded him. He was so attached to the thing, he had not even bothered to follow the newest technology trends or replace his little trustable friend. _As long as I can call Trucy, right?_

'It's 2029, Wright! Please for god's sake, buy a new one!' Miles whispered in frustration, shook his head and pushed his cellphone into his friend's hands.

The man with spiky-hair walked around. There was nothing special at the double bed. The cleaning lady had already made it up in the early morning. The bins were emptied and news cups were placed by the water cooker. There was unfortunately not much extraordinary on first glance.

'Wright, we need to stop interfering in the investigation of the police. It is not our case and it only makes us more suspicious. I cannot do this, this is a terribly idea.'

The prosecutor stood still close to the bed, while the lawyer headed towards the working desk and minibar.

'Hmm…?' Phoenix said to himself.

'What is it?' Suddenly, his curiosity took over his angry mood. Miles was not someone who could stay angry for days. Something could change his mood in just seconds.

'A newspaper, but there is something sticking out underneath.' Phoenix put the paper away with his gloves in order for them to be able to see the other item on the desk.

'It's an agenda, it seems. Can you open it?' Miles asked him. Phoenix carefully did what he was asked to do and opened the little black book.

'Let's see… this week,' the lawyer murmured and turned to the right page. 'He had several appointments… wait, see this!'

'Today he had an appointment with someone named 'Müller'. It also mentions a name of a hotel and a room number, likely of this person.'

'What time did he originally have that appointment?' Miles bowed forwards, as he tried to read the small written letters.

'At half past five in the afternoon.'

'...Wright... that is around the time he was murdered,' Miles commented and looked in the lawyer's direction. Phoenix's eyes grew a little bigger.

'Then, could this man be..?'

'There is a possibility. Does it say anything else? Take a picture with my phone.' Phoenix did what he was told and made a picture of weekplanning.

'This week it says the four days-lasting UN conference, today's meeting with this Müller man and on the twenty-fifth of February there is only a time written down, ten thirty pm. He has an appointment, but it does not say what. Well, he cannot attend anymore, that's for sure.'

'And the week prior?'

'Nothing major, it only says the stayed in this hotel again for two days. He indeed came more often, just like that lovely lady from the opposite side told us,' Phoenix joked and eyed Miles, who gave him a cold stare.

'Take another quick glance and let's leave then,' the man with the cravat insisted.

The curious lawyer opened the cupboard. Robert Klein was a man who obviously liked to have everything neatly ordered. Even the shirts were hung in the right color from light to dark. Neatly polished shoes were put underneath the clothing. He then snickered. _Miles would do exactly the same thing._

The Chief Prosecutor watched the lawyer's every step. He raised an eyebrow as he heard a soft laugh behind the closet door.

'Did you find anything amusing?'

'No, no,' Phoenix answered and closed the doors again. Still with his eyebrow raised, Miles saw how he walked over to the nightstand and opened the first drawer.

'Oh, his passport.' He took it in his hands. Despite it not being an American passport, it had the same color. He opened it and saw the same man they met hours ago looking at him.

'Let it be, we should go now.'

 _Wait… what the hell is going on here?_ Phoenix bowed his head a little forwards. His eyes scanned the information. Miles saw Phoenix's suddenly serious and anxious face when taking a better look at the document.

'Is there something wrong with the passport?' Miles stepped to the lawyer and Phoenix showed him what bothered him. The silver-haired man's eyes widened. 'It says Peter van Dijk at his name.' After a moment, Miles spoke again. 'But his name is Robert Klein. The first question that comes to my mind is why on earth does he use a different name in public?'

'Is this is his real name? Or is Robert Klein his real name? That is the million-dollar question,' the lawyer replied. Phoenix once again looked through the drawer. He pushed some tissue packages on the side. 'Hold up… there's another passport, Edgeworth.'

'What?!' Miles almost grabbed it from the drawer but just in time remembered that he was not wearing gloves. The lawyer opened the document in a hurry.

'Robert Klein. Same photo, too.'

'So, he uses two passports with two different names. What on earth…?' Miles spoke. 'The first thing I can think of is criminal activities. I have often seen the usage of fake passport in cases with human trafficking or identity theft.'

'This is getting complicated,' Phoenix replied. The sound of a click was heard when he made another photo with the prosecutor's smart phone.

'Alright, let's go now, Wright. We have been here long enough,' Miles said and waited for Phoenix open the door with his gloves still on.

'Yes, yes, I'm coming.' The man with the spiky hair returned the items to their original place and followed Miles after glancing around one more time. Quickly, the two men walked to the staircase when they closed the door of the room.

'See, no one saw,' Phoenix said softly and relieved when they walked down each step to the ground floor. Just when they got downstairs, they almost bumped in a man with hair as red as fire.

'You two Americans again?! Walking around the hotel so suspiciously? You two are definitely on my suspect list!' the inspector suddenly yelled when he saw who almost made him fall of the stairs.

'Pardon us, we just came from our rooms and are on our way to the restaurant,' Miles lied.

'I am watching you two,' Inspector De Koning threatened, using his two fingers to point at them. He passed them and continued his way up.

'I almost got a heart attack, we were just in time or he would have arrested us on the spot,' Phoenix whispered to Miles once the heavy man was out of sight.

'I told you this was a bad idea, Wright! We have been incredibly lucky so far, you realize that?!'

'Would he be going to Klein's room?' Phoenix changed the subject.

'That is very likely. He must have asked for the spare key, as originally the victim should be having this original key card,' Miles deduced. 'Who knows if they have noticed that card is gone yet.'

* * *

'Good evening,' Phoenix said and the man behind the counter looked up from his computer screen.

'Oh, good evening, sirs. Can I help you with anything?'

'Well, yes, we just found this hotel key card around the corner near the elevator and staircase on the ground floor. Someone must have lost it.'

'Ah, thank you very much for bringing it to me, I will check the room number and contact the guest. I appreciate it.'

'No problem,' Phoenix answered and once again looked at the man's pale face. 'Are you okay, sir?' the lawyer asked him. 'This evening was quite big shock.'

'A-ah, yes, I have calmed down now. I am glad the police is here. They just finished asking questions to the other guests, but I do not think they have gotten much helpful information.'

'Do you have CCTV at the parking lot? That could be useful for the police.' Miles asked the man.

'Yes, a female officer just looked at it, but it only showed a small area of the parking lot, not where the murder took place, unfortunately. Furthermore, it was already dark at half past six… Let's hope they will find this horrendous killer who killed Mr. Klein soon.'

'Did you know this Mr. Klein well?' the prosecutor asked and rested his right arm on the counter.

'Well, he often came to our hotel. He said he enjoyed the breakfast here and he always asked for the same room. I did not know him on a personal level or anything.'

'So, he was a regular. He must have been a busy man with quite a lot of business here in The Hague,' Phoenix pretended not to know the occupation of the man.

'Ah, yes, he told me he just started working here in The Hague. I have no idea where. However… he and that woman...,' the man suddenly got slightly nervous.

'What woman?' Miles asked. The man shook his head.

'I-I am gossiping about a guest now, and I shouldn't have. I am sorry, but I have to continue work, or my boss will be mad.'

'Oh...' Phoenix said, slightly disappointed. Finally the man was giving them some information. The lawyer tried to ask another question, but at the same time, the reception phone rang.

'Thank you for bringing me the key card. I hope you have a quiet night. I am sorry that this has happened during your stay.' The man turned around and greeted the person on the other end of the telephone.

* * *

'Well, there was something with a woman,' Phoenix and Miles sat down in a quiet corner of the restaurant's bar in two armchairs near the fireplace. The pointers of the clock in the corner showed them it was already half past eleven.

'Did he meet her in this hotel? Was she a colleague?' Miles asked himself quietly. He took a sip of his sparkling water. Phoenix, on the other hand, gulped down his coke in almost one go.

'Well, everyone here knew him as Robert Klein, so I am guessing that that is the name he used the most?' the lawyer spoke.

'That could be the case. However, what did he use the other name for?'

'Are you sure you are not interested in this case? I believe you were telling me that we should stop this, ' Phoenix teased him.

'I am not fond of breaking in, no!' Miles huffed softly at him. The lawyer grinned and nodded.

'Yes, I know. But we have found some intriguing information.'

'Despite the case being interesting, I think it is best not to interfere with the police's investigating, Wright.'

'Hm… let's go to our rooms. This day has been hectic and I cannot wait to dive into my bed,' Phoenix spoke, not replying to what his friend had said. The lawyer had obvious trouble with getting out of the comfortable leather armchair. Miles grumbled in slight irritation when he did not get the reply he wanted. _Does Wright even know how serious this is? I can't believe I let myself get dragged along. I just want to have some normal days here without any trouble. Is that too much to ask?!_ He sighed. _Well, it is late and we better get some sleep._

'Alright,' Miles replied. 'The prosecution has no objections to that.'

* * *

 **A/N**

A big thanks to confusedsiewmai, who beta read this chapter! It is really appreciated!

Hope you enjoyed it!

See you in chapter six, pals! :D


	6. Chapter 6 - 24 February 2029, Part 1

**4 Days**

 **Chapter 6 - 24 February 2029, Part 1**

Snow softly landed on Miles and Phoenix's dark colored coats on their walk from the hotel to their taxi outside. It was cold for the time of the year and it seemed like the weather had no plans to change the snow for sunshine anytime soon. It was just past nine in the morning and they had just finished their breakfast buffet in the hotel. A taxi arrived some minutes before the arranged time - Miles was especially glad about it, as it meant they did not have to wait outside in the terrible cold - and both men greeted the driver when they both opened the doors to the backseat.

They knew where they had to be in the large Peace Palace now, so after a strict security check, the two men traveled to the large conference room on the first floor without any problems or getting lost. It was already quite busy when Phoenix and Miles entered and most guests had found their seats. The schedule of today's lectures was adjusted. _Likely out of respect for Robert Klein, member of the IJC,_ Phoenix thought.

'Well, well, if that isn't Miles Edgeworth.' Miles' eyes widened when he heard his name and turned around. _It can't be! This voice...!_

'Hello, little brother,' Franziska von Karma said to him, arms crossed and a small smile on her face, although it looked more like a smirk to Phoenix. Her half-long hair was put in a bun and some longer locks of hair hang along the sides of her face. Miles' adoptive sister wore a formal dark blue dress and matching high heels. The white bag in her hand was quite big and had a extraordinary rhombic design. Next to her stood an elegant man dressed in a dark blue, almost black, suit. Miles inspected him. He was tall, quite muscular, and looking around the same age as Phoenix and him. He had blond wavy hair and bluish-greenish eyes. The man smiled at him when he noticed Miles' long stare in his direction. _Is he Franziska's acquaintance?_ Miles had never seen the man before. The male prosecutor looked back to his sister.

'Franziska, it's good to see you again. I didn't know you would be coming.'

'Yes, well, we only arrived yesterday in the early afternoon. Last week it was decided that we would attend. This is our first day of the conference.'

'Hello, Ms. Von Karma,' Phoenix greeted her in surprise. He had not seen or spoken to Miles' sister in years.

'Phoenix Wright.' She turned in his direction, but she saw both men' eyes drifted to the tall but muscular man standing beside Franziska. 'This is Mr. Philip Müller, chief of the German branch of Interpol. We work together in many cases and he invited me to join this conference,' she then said and thus introduced the man. Miles' eyes widened when she said his name. _T-that name…!_ He felt Phoenix glancing at him nervously in the corner of his eye.

'I-it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,' Miles said and stuck out his hand first. 'Miles Edgeworth, Chief Prosecutor of the Los Angeles district.'

'Ah, yes, the brother, isn't it? Nice meeting you, Mr. Edgeworth. Franziska told me about you,' he answered in English. Miles' eyes shot to Franziska's, who stood expressionless next to her colleague. _She told him about me?_

'This is Phoenix Wright, a defense attorney from Los Angeles,' Franziska spoke.

'Ah, hello, nice to meet you,' Phoenix quite awkwardly shook hands with Philip Müller.

'Same, Mr. Wright.'

'I heard you gave a presentation, Miles Edgeworth,' she then said, changing the subject. 'Philip and I only arrived yesterday in the late afternoon because of some business, so we could not attend.'

'Yes, I gave a presentation yesterday morning.'

'I expect it was nothing less than perfect.'

'I spoke about my analysis on the Shelly de Killer and the cases he was involved in. I am quite sure you remember the murder of Juan Corrida?' he replied, not commenting upon whether it had been perfect or not.

'I do indeed. No one can forget such an aberrant case,' she answered.

'Do you still prosecute, Ms. Von Karma?' Phoenix asked.

'I do, obviously. I mostly prosecute the criminals we come across during our investigations for Interpol.'

'Ah, okay,' Phoenix replied and scratched the back of his neck.

'It's about to start, we are going to find our seats now. I'll see you later, Miles Edgeworth, Phoenix Wright,' Franziska said. The man gave them a nod as a goodbye and together they walked off. Phoenix and Miles watched her finding her seat and saw that Philip Müller sat down next to her.

'That man… he has the same last name as was written in Klein's agenda,' Phoenix whispered directly to Miles after they had left.

'It could be him, yes. However, Müller is a common name, it could as likely be someone else.'

'But if it is him-' Phoenix's eyes showed he was worried.

'He is the chief of the German _Interpol_ , Wright,' Miles replied hastily. However, he _did_ feel uneasy about the fact that the man had the same last name as in the agenda. And yes, that Franziska seemed somewhat close to the potential suspect bothered him immensely.

'We should have asked them in which hotel they are staying,' Miles said, punching himself in his mind for forgetting to do so earlier. 'We should ask them later.'

'Hm, I have not seen her for years, but she gave off a very slightly different vibe than I can remember, despite her ideas about 'being perfect and doing things perfectly'. That colleague even got permission to call her by her first name. He even said she told him about you and the fact that you are her brother.' Phoenix tried to analyze the situation.

'And not having her whip with her is very unlike Franziska,' Miles added, muttering to himself.

'Right, she didn't have it, did she? Did she mention him before when you two last called?'

'No, she didn't.'

'They looked close. I'm sensing something here,' Phoenix spoke and suspiciously looked back at the two Interpol agents again. She was busy talking to him, while he laughed shortly.

'You should not jump to conclusions that fast, you know that. You have no evidence to support your claim. Furthermore, it is her own business.'

'I am just surprised. If it were true, it's not very Franziska-like, as you said earlier. She did not even use the word fool or a variation of it.'

'Well, we all get older and change,' Miles replied without looking at the lawyer and also looked for the row number of their arranged seats. He just hoped that they were wrong. Very wrong. Even if it was just for Franziska's sake.

* * *

'So, after hearing this horrible news we have decided to cancel today and tomorrow's schedule. On the last day of the conference, the 26th, it is our plan to continue the schedule. There will likely be a short meeting to inform you further, a few last presentations and the officially ending of the conference. However, this needs to be officially decided by the International Judicial Committee, of which Robert Klein was a new but respected member of. I want to leave it at that, thank you for coming this morning, despite the cancelling of the lectures today. We will inform you further on the 26th.' The male representative of the IJC stepped down the podium and everyone took their leave. There were still some guests in slight shock as they heard the news for the first time.

Thus, the day ended early at a little past twelve in the afternoon. The two pairs of colleagues met each other once again at the exit.

'A horrendous crime, I hope they find this killer soon,' Phoenix said.

'Yes, I agree,' Miles answered and looked at his sister and Philip Müller. Both did not answer, the man only nodded slowly.

'What hotel are you staying, Ms. Von Karma?' Phoenix tried to ask smoothly as they exited the building. The security was even tight as the day before. The hall was full of guards.

'Why do you need such information? I do not desire any visits of you two,' she told them, exactly expressing how she felt.

'A-alright, well, I was just wondering if it was near here as well..,' Phoenix muttered, slightly insulted. _Well, excuse me..._ _I just wanted to know to make sure you are not sleeping in the same hotel as a potential suspect for murder_ , he thought.

'I will see you in two days at the conference, then,' Miles took over. 'Take care, Franziska.' She raised her eyebrow to the latter comment, but gave no verbal reply.

'See you then, Mr. Edgeworth, Mr. Wright,' the man gave them a smile and offered another handshake. Both men accepted, but both with caution. 'Let's go to my car, alright?'

'Yes, let's do that, Philip.' Miles and Phoenix then saw how Philip and Franziska walk along the driving lane of the building.

'Well, shall we take our leave as well?' The prosecutor asked him.

'I still have this strange feeling about him. I hope I am mistaken, though. But hey, now that we have the afternoon for ourselves, why don't we go sightseeing?' Phoenix enthusiastically proposed. He and Miles exited the building and walked the same path as his sister and her colleague.

'Sightseeing…'

'Yeah, you know, looking around the city!

'Yes, I know what sightseeing means, Wright,' Miles answered immediately, slightly irritated. On one hand he wanted to stroll around the city, but on the other hand, he was longing for a quiet afternoon in the hotel's bar with some Earl Grey tea.

'Remember that I still have to find those waffles with syrup for my Trucy?' Phoenix reminded him.

'Ah, yes, you said something like that.' _Trucy._ The one Phoenix can talk about for hours. He still remembered meeting her for the first time. The news that Phoenix had adopted an eight-year-old girl was a big shock to him and he did not understand why on earth the then ex-lawyer did something reckless like that. Phoenix had just lost his job back then, but the moment that he saw the bubbly girl showing the flowers she had gotten out of her magic hat, he knew that it was alright. She was clinging onto Phoenix, her little arms around his waist, already calling him 'daddy'. It was like it had never been any different. Trucy was one of a kind, a little chaotic but with a loving heart. Phoenix was the same. He knew she had nowhere to go and took her in. _She and Phoenix suited each other perfectly._

'Shall we take the public transport somewhere?' the lawyer proposed.

'... Alright. Let's walk around, I am sure a bus stop is not far away from this place.'

In their search for the nearest train, metro station or bus stop, Miles noticed a billboard attached to a lighting pole near the pavement. He stood still to read it.

'What is it, Edgeworth?' Phoenix also stopped walking. 'What's that?'

'Well, as we are planning to go sightseeing, I think I'd enjoy this place.'

Phoenix scanned the billboard, seeing an old racing car taking almost all the space. 'Louwman Museum,' he tried to read out loud. 'A car museum?'

'Yes, it says here something about classic cars, if I am not mistaken. It is a private collection exhibition. Those words are quite similar to the German language. The car on that pamphlet is a 1929 Mercedes Benz SSK model.'

'Wow, I didn't you you knew _that much_ about cars,' the lawyer smiled. 'That car is a hundred years old.'

'It is one of the interests that I have,' Miles admitted. There were always some small new things Phoenix discovered about Miles. Although, him being a car nerd did not come as a surprise, as he knew Miles drove an expensive and luxurious red sportscar back in the States. The prosecutor did not talk a lot about himself, nor his hobbies. A few years ago, he got to know that Miles had bought a puppy after his old dog Pess had died. Miles told him he was not sure about getting a new pet, but he eventually did. The image of Miles holding a little golden retriever pup at the front door when Phoenix came by unannounced will forever be stuck in his head. It looked incredibly cute, he had to admit.

'Alright, let's make a compromise. First we look for these waffles and then we go to this museum you seem to fancy, deal?'

'Splendid,' Miles answered contently. 'Deal.'

* * *

It took quite some time, but with the help of a Dutch mother and her two young children, Phoenix found his way to a special Dutch waffle shop. Miles followed him quietly the whole way, looking around at the many places they passed by.

'Oh my god, this smell is heaven.' Phoenix exaggerated as he breathed in the air in the shop. 'Oh wow, they are baking them there.' Miles smiled a little when he realized Phoenix was acting like a kid in a candy -well... waffle- shop. The lawyer pointed at the woman behind the counter who was busy with putting syrup on the baked dough.

'You want one? My treat. I will also take a package with me for Truce, like I promised her.'

'Well, I am not saying no to such a captivating offer.'

'Hehe, just like me. I never turn down free food.' Miles could only snort to that comment.

After Phoenix ordered two take-outs and a can of 'stroopwafels' - the lawyer had given up trying to pronounce the word correctly, while Miles seemed to be good at it - and they ate them inside the shop at a standing table. It was warm inside, while outside the cold was almost unbearable.

'I believe the Louwman Museum is not that far away. We have more than three hours to take a look there before it closes.'

'We can ask the register lady, perhaps she knows the way or which bus we need to get there.'

'Yes indeed, but let us first relish this… _stroopwafel_ ,' Miles responded, smirked and took a bite.

* * *

'Oh my, I am speechless. This is stunning,' Miles spoke as he entered one of the halls filled with cars. They were old, expensive and thus totally Miles' style. Phoenix looked around. Most guests were males. Three older men in black suits were inspecting an oldtimer in a corner with the utmost interest.

'This folder says that the collection includes over two-hundred-and-fifty antique and classic cars, collected by two generations of the Louwman family.' Phoenix nodded impressively while reading out loud the English text. 'You still have your red sportscar? I remember you let me sit in the passenger's seat when we drove to a crime scene already quite some years ago.'

'Yes, of course I still have it. My dark red Maserati is standing polished and well in my garage back at home. It is not a classic model, though.'

'You drive it a lot?'

'Yes, quite. Its purpose is to drive you, so why wouldn't I? I did not buy it to let it sit in my garage, right?'

'Yeah, sounds logical.'

'I am thinking of buying a classic one like these in the near future. Speaking of driving cars, how are your driver's lessons going? You started them mid-last year, right?' Miles asked as he slowly walked along the path and now and then stopped to look at some details of the 'beauties'. _He remembered I told him._ Phoenix was not that interested in cars and driving to the extent that Miles was, but here and there he saw one he liked. However, Miles clearly enjoyed it, so the visit was not that bad. It was funny to see how Miles could get immensely absorbed in one of his passions. It was something that Phoenix had not seen before. _Well, he was talking very enthusiastic that one time Maya started talking about that new season of that Steel Samurai show..._

'Ah, yes, unfortunately, my instructor says I don't have a natural talent. I need some more lessons. Once I have my driver's licence, perhaps I can borrow your car one time?' Phoenix asked. He was joking and Miles knew that. The prosecutor would never let him drive his baby.

'Err…,' Miles pretended to think. '...No,' he then answered with a smirk. Phoenix laughed. _Like I thought._

'Okay, okay, fine. But then at least take me along one more time, hm?'

'Alright, I will,' Miles answered. Phoenix enjoyed the joking and bantering between him and Miles. It was relaxed and Miles was not on guard all the time. It often felt like he was, as it was part of his personality. He felt more approachable and Phoenix enjoyed their time together. _Yes, Miles had his annoying, stuck-up jerk moments, but that was how Miles was as well._

'I used to have a small toy version of this. My father gave it to me on my sixth birthday,' the man in red told him and pointed at a beige 1952 Ferrari 375 Indiana Polis car behind the safety rope. ' _Miles, my son, wake up. Happy birthday,' that is what father said when he sat on the edge of my bed. He had wrapped the toy in red-silver paper. It was not skillfully done, but it definitely showed his effort to wrap it up as nice as possible. Father had even apologized for the failed attempt. I did not bother as father was with me and he had gotten me a present. I got the package in which the car was put, out of the wrapping paper and I remember telling him I'd buy a similar car when I'd get older. Perhaps I should? Fulfill that wish and promise I made? It was also one of father's favorite cars and he knew I liked these models as well. He'd love this museum. Finally seeing the car in full-scale._ Miles smiled softly as he kept staring at the classic fourwheeler in silence. _I had no idea this car would turn me so sentimental. Every memory with my father is a treasure and artifacts like these brings them back._

'You remember getting the toy?' _He never talks about his dad… these cars sure make him feel comfortable._

'Yes, and I still have it,' Miles answered and got out his smartphone to take a picture. Phoenix watched the action amusingly. 'I put it in the display case in my study at home. However, I had never seen the particular car in its original scale until now.' The camera clicked.

'Alright, next hall. You're enjoying it, aren't you, Chief Prosecutor?' A slightly hyped lawyer asked him as he waited for Miles to look at the last car near the first hall's exit.

'I certainly am,' Miles answered, smiled softly and followed the spiky-haired man into the next hall filled with expensive big boy's toys.

* * *

They ate at a fancy-looking Asian restaurant on their way back to the hotel. Miles was a little reluctant at first, but gave in when Phoenix had enthusiastically read aloud the menu hanging at the entrance. _Everything is pretty close, no far distances. It is a relatively small city, compared to for example Los Angeles,_ Miles thought. He was in a great mood, especially after their visit to the Louwman Museum. Nonetheless, he could not deny that the meeting with this Mr. Müller made him worry. _Franziska knows what she is doing, so there shouldn't be a problem_ , Miles thought and tried to think of something else.

'Let's call it a night, alright?' he proposed as they entered the hotel. He gave the receptionist a nod when they passed by the counter on their way to the staircase.

'I totally agree. It is still early, I'll call Trucy to see everything is alright and to see whether she has not set our apartment on fire yet,' the lawyer laughed. 'If I calculated correctly, she has finished school at this time back in LA.'

'Yes, give her my regards.' Miles gave him a soft smile.

'Sure thing.'

'Alright, good night, Wright. See you tomorrow,' he continued and said his goodbyes. They had arrived at their hallway and found their rooms again.

'G'night, Edgeworth,' Phoenix replied and closed his door.

* * *

He had no idea what time is was when his phone suddenly rang. Miles groaned and reached out his arm towards the nightstand next to him. After blinking a few times, he was able to see it was only eleven in the evening and he had just slept around a quarter of an hour. He then looked at the name that the ID caller showed. His heart suddenly skipped a beat. _Why would she call? We are in the same country and I'll see her the day after tomorrow at the conference._ He coughed and tapped the green button on the screen.

'Franziska.' His voice sounded husky and it was clear he was woken up by her call. He coughed again, waiting for his sister to yell through the phone. Miles' guess was wrong as he heard no answer at all. _Is something the matter? Is it the connection?_

'Franziska, are you there?'

'M-Miles...' it suddenly sounded at the end of the line. His sister's voice was soft and she called him by his _first_ name. She only addressed him by his full name, unless something was wrong. It alarmed him immediately and his eyes grew bigger.

'Franziska, what is wrong?! Tell me!' Unconsciously, he sat up straight on the edge of the bed. Again a long silence before he heard anything. Miles held the phone firmly to his right ear. _Is she hurt?! Wait...that colleague Müller… did he...?!_ He felt panic flowing through his body. 'A-are you hurt anywhe-,' the Chief Prosecutor began, but was interrupted by a soft and sad voice.

'No, I-I just need your help,' Franziska spoke up. He was not sure if he heard her crying -he did not think so- but he knew that something terrible must have happened. _My help? She never asks for my help. Ever since I met Franziska von Kamra at the age of two she always refused my help with everything. She always did everything alone. And now… this..._ His lips were dry.

'What do you need my help with? I will do anything I can, but please...tell me what is wrong, Franziska,' Miles tried to say as calm as possible, but he noticed his own heart rate increasing each second.

'He-...' He heard her swallow. 'T-they arrested him, M-Miles.'

'W-what...?!'

* * *

 **A/N**

Thanks to confusedsiewmai for betareading! We can both be found on tumblr with the same username!

Please leave a comment if you liked it! See you in chapter seven!


	7. Chapter 7 - 24 February 2029, Part 2

**4 Days**

 **Chapter 7 - 24 February 2029, Part 2**

She looked extremely tired. Her hair was let down, resting on her shoulders and back, and revealing how long it had grown in the time he did not see her in person. She stood at the entrance of her hotel, packed in her warm coat and a shawl.

'Franziska, are you alright?!' Miles asked her and his face clearly expressed how worried he was. She told him where she was staying and Miles knew he had never before dressed himself that quickly. He had called Phoenix's phone, but eventually had to knock on his door to wake the man. That ridiculous image of Phoenix in his pajamas and with hair sticking out every direction was one he wouldn't forget easily.

'O-of course I am! A Von Karma is always perfectly fine!' she told him firmly. Phoenix eyed Miles and the prosecutor sighed. His sister was now back to wearing her mask. _She seemed so vulnerable through the phone just now… is it because Wright is here as well?_

'Let's get you in the taxi, alright?' Miles held the backseat door open for her and without saying anything Franziska got in. He sat down next to her, while Phoenix decided it would be best for him to sit in front and leave the siblings discuss the matter together.

'So, you told me through the phone that you and Mr. Müller had dinner and you two separated ways to your own room at a quarter to ten,' Miles summarized the information he heard earlier.

'Yes, and around half past ten I heard all this noise on our floor's hallway. So, I took a peek and saw that a few policemen were knocking on Philip Müller's door.'

'Alright.' Miles nodded to let her know he understood her.

'And they took him with them. I was not allowed to speak to him, despite my protests.'

 _Those policemen must have had a difficult time,_ Phoenix thought while he heard the story that was told in the back of the car.

'So, you did not speak to him ever since he was taken to the nearest police station?'

'Well, they let Philip call me on my cell phone for some minutes because he asked me what was best to do and that he needed judicial assistance.'

'He was arrested because they suspect he is involved in the death of Robert Klein, you said. However, you did not mention earlier at the conference that you two knew Robert Klein when we talked about him and his death.'

'Because I couldn't tell you. That is an Interpol rule.'

'So, Robert Klein and Interpol are related?'

'...Yes, Philip knows more about the relation between the two. You should ask him,' she told him cautiously. Miles looked at her and every now and then, he was able to see her anxious face owing to the light of the lamps post they passed by. He just felt relieved she wasn't hurt.

* * *

The taxi drove for ten minutes and eventually stopped in front of the nearest police station.

'Please hurry, it is already late and we usually do not hold meetings with suspects this late. We make an exception because the man insisted on juridical assistance,' the police woman behind the counter commented before they found their way through some doors to the interrogation room. A police officer was already waiting for them and stopped them from going in.

'I am sorry, there are only two people allowed to enter,' he told them in English. The lawyer and the siblings glanced at each other.

'You two go in, I will wait here,' Franziska said and pointed at the three red chairs in the little hall.

'But you…,' Phoenix began.

'You two go in without me. However, Phoenix Wright, there is one thing,' she said and crossed her arms. Her hair fluttered by the sudden movement.

'A-and that is…?' the lawyer asked cautiously, not having any idea what was coming. Franziska was very unpredictable and he knew she still saw him as a courtroom rival.

'You, Phoenix Wright. I want you to be Philip Müller's defense attorney.'

'What?! But I..!' _What is this?! Me? Here? For him?_

'You'll be his temporarily defense attorney before they have found him a Dutch one. It is now a Dutch case, after all.'

'But…,' Phoenix stammered. _What is going on?! This is... very sudden._ He glanced at Miles and then back to Franziska.

'Franziska, how do you know he is innocent?' Miles asked her, quite surprised by her sudden and unusual request.

'Because he simply is, you fool!' she spat at her brother.

'Then why ask Wright? He will soon be replaced, just like as you said,' the man with silver bangs continued.

She then sighed and took a step back and collected her posture. 'Philip Müller is already informed about his new lawyer. With Phoenix Wright's bluffing skills we have more chance on getting a not guilty verdict.' It took Phoenix a few seconds to process all the information. _Did she just praise and insult me at the same time?_

Miles stood next to him. He felt uncomfortable and confused by the fact that merciless prosecutor Franziska von Karma was willing to ask Phoenix, her so-called arch enemy in the courtroom, to help her. _She did not even dare to ask me things until tonight when she called me. What changed her so much? It is that Müller, I am sure of it. Franziska must be really convinced of his innocence to do this for someone. It even made her so emotional on the phone. However, Franziska is Franziska. She leaves Wright no choice by already informing Mr. Müller that he is going to be his lawyer. Should we trust her judgement?_ Franziska shot Miles a glance. Short, but full of determination. Miles then watched Phoenix's slightly nervous face. He decided to speak up. 'Wright, it is getting really late and if you accept to be his lawyer, we need to hurry a little.' Franziska looked at the two men without any clear expression on her face and then turned around. Miles saw his sister walking to the nearby chairs in the corner of his eye.

'So, you are his lawyer?' the policeman asked for confirmation. A confused Phoenix first looked at the man in uniform and then slowly nodded.

'I-it seems that I am.'

'Alright, come in.' The door was opened. Miles recognized the man he saw earlier today. Philip looked incredibly tired. _Well, I think we all do_ , he thought and remembered that he only got a quarter of an hour rest. Miles and Phoenix sat down together with the German man. An also obviously exhausted police guard stood at the side of the room, waiting for them to finish their conversation and finally go home.

'Thank you for coming, Mr. Edgeworth, Mr. Wright. I know it is already very late,' Philip said and sighed. 'This is all a misunderstanding. How is Franziska? I only spoke her for a few minutes on the phone after she saw I was taken away from my hotel room. I said I wanted a lawyer and was allowed to call her. She said she'd do anything in order for you to help me,' Philip explained. _Yes, I have noticed that_ , Phoenix thought. _Really… how am I going to do this? I have no idea. Well, I definitely did not think Edgeworth and I would officially be part of this case. Searching Robert Klein's room was just out of curiosity, but to be the lawyer of the defendant is not what I had in mind._

Different thoughts entered Miles's mind idem dito. _The first question he asks us is about Franziska._ Miles raised his eyebrow slightly. _Was he really that worried about her?_

'Franziska is alright and waiting outside as only two people are allowed in here,' the prosecutor replied.

'I see,' he answered. It was clear he had a German accent, but his English was excellent.

'Did an Inspector or police officer already talk to you and ask you questions?' Miles asked him.

'Yes, the Inspector heard my side of the story already, however, he said he will give us ten minutes and then he'll return.'

'So, we should start quickly. I will be your temporarily attorney while they are searching for a Dutch one. Because I cannot speak Dutch and this is a Dutch case, I can help just a short period of time,' Phoenix then spoke up.

'I understand.'

'Alright, can you first tell us about your work?' Phoenix asked. The seriousness could clearly be seen in his eyes.

The suspect in his thirties nodded. 'As Franziska told you yesterday, I am the chief of the German Interpol division. We investigate several international cases. I often travel abroad to speak to other Interpol or Europol agents because most criminal groups are active in different countries or continents.'

'Alright, and Franziska helps you with these cases?' Miles asked.

'Yes, we work together closely. She has a lot of experience, especially with smuggling rings, and exactly knows what steps to take in a case.' Miles gave a nod. 'So, tell us how you know Robert Klein? You and Franziska did not tell us you knew the man when we saw you earlier today.'

'Yes, it is classified information. Robert was a former Interpol agent in Germany. We worked together regularly, especially these last few weeks.'

'An interpol agent?' Phoenix asked again and looked at Miles.

'Yes.' _Ah, that could explain the other passport,_ Miles thought'Did he use aliases?' he thus asked.

'...Yes, why?' Philip seemed slightly surprised.

'We found Mr. Klein's passport but with a different name,' Phoenix said, not revealing the fact that found it by snooping around the man's hotel room and took a picture of it.

'Yes, he did some undercover work for Interpol here in the Netherlands as Peter van Dijk. So, yes, he used a different name for his and the organization's protection,' Philip explained. 'He is Dutch, so we have him a Dutch name to investigate the transportation of the drugs from the Netherlands to Germany, so he was active in both countries. We have many other agents who investigate the smuggling in other parts of the world.'

'Ah, okay. So, why did you work together closely these last few weeks?' the lawyer continued before Philip Müller could ask how they knew of the double passport of Robert Klein.

'Robert told me he was offered a job at the International Judicial Committee, the IJC, not long ago. They knew about his work at Interpol and the knowledge he had. He said he was enthusiastic about it and liked to accept this new job. However, earlier, he had done research in a case we were working on and would inform me of his last findings before officially quitting his work at Interpol. The case and information is classified, though. I am sorry.'

'Oh, err, Ms. Von Karma told us you would be able to give us information. You know, without the important information, I cannot help you to get an acquittal, Mr. Müller,' Phoenix replied, gave the man opposite a serious expression and folded his hands. _Tell us._

Philip sighed. 'If are sure that can help me, I think I must tell you then. However, leaking information can cost me my job. I trust that you keep this information to yourself,' the man paused and his eyes drifted from Phoenix to Miles. Both American attorneys nodded and Philip continued his story. 'The RFP-343 case. It is about a smuggling ring in Europe but is spreading to the East as well. Drugs from Morocco are shipped to the Rotterdam Port and then distributed to parts of East Europe and West-Asia. Franziska and I are the leaders of this case. Robert is one of the undercover agents we closely worked together with. We expect that there are certain bases where the drugs are stored before further transportation, likely also one here in The Hague. A few weeks ago we found a large amount of drugs in Dresden, Germany, and it was wrapped in a way similar to earlier found drugs in Rotterdam, Sofia and Moscow. It had the name The Hague on it, so we expect that the drugs have been here before we found it in Dresden.'

'How were they wrapped or hidden?' Miles was interested now.

'They were put in empty make-up and cosmetics products. They look like new and saleable products. Nicely wrapped and such. Only by opening them you can find the drugs, of course.'

'Cosmetics? That is quite a distinctive way to wrap drugs,' the lawyer commented. 'Alright, back to Robert Klein. So, he was ready to switch jobs. Why did you meet him while he was not part of Interpol anymore?' he then asked. Müller sat back in his chair and crossed his legs.

'He still had some information we wanted to tell me face-to-face. Everything is highly classified. I knew he would be here at this conference, so last week I told him we could meet here in The Hague and attend the conference as well. It was also meant as an opportunity for me to visit the basis op Europol here in The Hague during these four days.'

'Okay. So, did you meet Robert Klein at the arranged time?'

'We had decided to meet at half past five in a quiet place near both of our hotels.'

'What place?' Phoenix asked immediately. _He needs to stop being vague._

'The 'Scheveningse bosjes', which is a small bush near our hotel. We do not need others to hear classified information.'

'You did not want to meet in his or your hotel room to discuss matters?' Miles then spoke up again.

'He said it was best to meet in a different place and thus we did, I did not make a fuss about it. But Robert did not show up. I waited for twenty minutes but he did not come. I hesitated to call him, but if he did not show up I figured that was because he was likely engaged in some undercover business. I could have caused him large trouble by calling him. Thus, I returned to the hotel and was obviously irritated. Thinking about it now, he must have been dead already. I did not know he was dead until it was announced at the conference today! I was aware I had an appointment with him on the evening he died, but I had never expected the police to think I'd be the killer!'

'...Err, do you know if he was married or in some relationship?' Phoenix asked. _The receptionist talked about a woman, perhaps he knows more._

'I know that he is not married. A girlfriend? I have no idea, we did not talk about that. We had a professional working relationship,' Philip replied.

'Alright, tell us, based on what evidence did they arrest you?' Miles asked.

'Well, they found his agenda and saw I had a meeting with him around the time he died. It also included the name of the hotel I stay at and the room number.' _The same agenda we found by snooping around_ , Miles thought. He still felt uncomfortable that he as Chief Prosecutor had broken in. 'So, they came to my hotel and wanted to take me to the station to ask me questions. Thus, I explained my side of the story, but they arrested me.'

'Hm... anything else?' the spiky-haired lawyer spoke.

'Well, I heard that Robert was killed by gunshots so they asked me if I owned a gun or a licence to hold one.'

'Well, taking into account your occupation…,' Miles began.

'Yes, I told them who I was and that I own a gun and a licence in Germany but that the gun is in Wiesbaden, where I live. However, I have not used the thing in years. They said that they first want to verify everything and meanwhile I am sitting here in some prison. This is ridiculous, I did not kill Robert. Why would I?!'

'They did a lot of research already. The agenda and so forth... it surprises me,' Miles said.

'Of course, he is now a member of the IJC, the highest committee of the Judicial branch of the UN and it appears an Interpol agent as well,' Phoenix told him, clearly not impressed.

'It does not matter who he is, as long as the man gets justice by putting away his killer,' another voice said and the three men looked at the door in surprise.

'Really, I see you two everywhere. I am starting to think you two are involved in his case as well.' Inspector De Koning said and sat down on the last and empty chair next to Philip.

'Those are quite some accusations you are making,' Miles gave the man a glare.

'You two are really getting on my nerves, you know. Are you really a lawyer and a prosecutor? I doubt it.' Phoenix showed him the badge on his lapel, while Miles got his prosecutor's badge from his pocket. 'And how do I know these are not fakes?' he intimidatingly asked them.

'Look up their register number,' Miles answered smugly but with a serious face. Phoenix had trouble not snorting at the sassy Edgeworth. The man growled and noted down their numbers.

'We are keeping him here, before he escapes to Germany. You two can leave now, we still have to finish our own questions,' the inspector told them.

Reluctantly, Miles and Phoenix stood up and the police officer opened the door. Phoenix turned to Philip.

'Try to take some rest, we'll visit you tomorrow and request all the information that is already known.' They said goodbye and saw that Franziska was waiting outside at the door. The inspector walked with them, leading them out.

'Don't you think this is going too far, sir? Mr. Müller is an Interpol agent. Your evidence is lacking and definitely not decisive,' Phoenix quietly said to him.

'The victim's agenda said they had an appointment, including information on where this Mr. Müller stayed. In the time span he waited for the victim, he had enough time to kill him and get back to this lady here,' he said and pointed at Franziska. 'He also has a license for a gun and owns one. We want to verify everything first before he runs off.'

'Those are foolishly foolish accusations made by a foolishly foolish fool!' Franziska hissed at him.

'Calm down, missy. You don't want to spend the night here too, do you?'

'Come, let's go Franziska,' Miles spoke and put his hand behind her back to make sure she was following him. She resisted a moment, but then gave in and followed his guidance.

The three of them left the hallway, but Miles saw how Franziska shortly glanced in the room before the inspector closed it from the inside to continue his interrogation. He saw how her and Philip Müller's eyes met and Miles was far more certain that what Phoenix had suggested earlier at the conference, could be right. _What on earth did we get ourselves into?_

* * *

 **A/N**

Thanks for betareading, confusedsiewmai! I appreciate it!

And thank _you all_ for reading! Please leave a comment it you liked it!

See you in chapter 8, pals! :D


	8. Chapter 8 - 25 February 2029, Part 1

**4 Days**

 **Chapter 8 - 25 February 2029, Part 1**

 _Well, no conference for us today, it seems._ Yesterday was already a short day, but out of respect for the murdered IJC member Robert Klein, there were no presentations or discussions at all today. It did not mean that it was a day for sightseeing again. No, the two American attorneys had lots to do. However, Miles was tired, simply exhausted. His head felt like a mess, although he tried to find logic somewhere. His mind wandered back to Philip Müller. _He couldn't be the killer, right? All the evidence they have is slightly weak. Where is the murder weapon? What motive does he have? There could be an accomplice. Franziska strongly believes he isn't the killer. Would her judgement be correct?_

'Busy thinking?' Phoenix asked Miles as he sat down in one of the two chairs in Miles' room near the window. They just had breakfast after their night with only little sleep.

'Well, the usage of a different name is quite clear now, considering he is an Interpol agent,' he replied, staring at the photo on the little screen of his smart phone.

'He most likely used that fake name for investigations,' Phoenix replied. Miles nodded.

'Yes, possibly. However, back to Philip Müller. To be frank, I'm not convinced he is innocent _yet_ ,' Miles said.

'I believe it was you who emphasized the fact that he is from Interpol, giving me the idea that you were convinced he wouldn't be capable of such an act like murder,' Phoenix told him.

'...Err, they have evidence, but it is not decisive. We still do not know where the murder weapon is. I hope they can tell us a little more today at the police station. What does your feeling say about him, Wright?' Miles questioned, curious what opinion his friend had on the matter.

'To be honest, I was just like you, not convinced. Franziska would have whipped me for not believing him immediately, but I actually used the magatama on Mr. Müller.'

'You used that stone?' The prosecutor asked in surprise and gave him a - as Phoenix would describe it - 'difficult face'.

'Yes, but no psyche locks appear when he talks about his story of the murder. He is telling the truth and thus I don't think he is the killer. I have the feeling that the real murderer is someone from the criminal organization Robert Klein was investigating. I am sure that organization exists of quite some people as it is operating globally. So, yeah, many possible suspects. However, we have no idea who is part of that organization. Only Robert Klein knows.'

'Well, Mr. Müller is in charge of that case. I am very positive that he knows about certain information as well. Likely not as much as the victim who worked undercover, but it could help us. We should visit him today,' Miles replied. 'By the way, I am still amazed how you fully believe in that piece of rock.'

'You witnessed it yourself, Edgeworth. You know I am not lying.' Phoenix reached into his pocket and looked at it while fidgeting it between his fingers.

'That is the strangest thing. It goes against my principles and nonetheless I agreed to use it ,' he replied. The prosecutor knew it was just a small stone, but he _did_ see its power and the locks which appeared when speaking to sister Iris when he acted as her defense lawyer for Phoenix's sake years ago.

'Well, you know… it did show one lock,' the lawyer spoke up but kept looking at the green item.

'...See, he is not innocent after all,' Miles replied smugly after a moment and crossed his arms and legs.

'Err, it was when he spoke about Franziska.' He looked up to the prosecutor.

Miles' slight smirk slowly faded and he glanced at Phoenix and nodded. 'Well, then we know what is going on.' Phoenix saw the prosecutor folding his hands and looking at the ground like he was in deep thought.

'Hey, we do not know. It could be something else, like close colleagues. I am sure a lot of trust is needed when working at Interpol. Like you said, we'd better not draw to conclusions that fast.'

'Yes, you are right about that,' Miles sighed. _But still…_ He was worried. _He could be a killer. Franziska could be working with a killer. She could be in danger. But the evidence is lacking. As a prosecutor, it would not be enough to get a guilty verdict._

'Well, I am always Wright!' Phoenix replied, tapping himself on the chest. Miles glared at the man in blue.

'Oh please, Wright, that pun is strongly overused. Quit it immediately,' he answered and a short smirk appeared on his face. Phoenix let out a laugh, he was glad he could let Miles forget his worrisome thoughts, even if it was just a short moment. He knew how Miles was anxious about this case, likely because it involved Franziska in a way he had never experienced. Phoenix grinned at the thought that Miles could actually be quite a protective brother.

'Even laughing at your own bad jokes. Seriously, Wright,' Miles shook his head and snorted together with the lawyer.

* * *

Visiting hours had begun and the attorneys walked down the hall of the police office. A policeman standing at the door of one of the interrogation rooms recognized them and gave a nod as a greeting. He opened the right door and stood in the corner of the room once he had closed it.

'Good morning, Mr. Müller,' Miles said as he sat down next to Phoenix at a simple black table. 'We still have some things we would like to know.'

'Sure, what is it?' Philip Müller sat in his suit opposite of them with crossed legs under the table.

'So, you told us that Robert Klein did undercover work. We expect that it is very likely that the killer is a member of the criminal organization he was investigating. Can you explain his activities when going undercover?'

'He did quite a lot of undercover work, very regularly. To be honest..,' Philip said but then stopped. He bowed forwards to the two attorneys so no one else - no guard or secret tape- could hear.

'He would be attending a secret meeting that will be held tonight by this criminal group. It was his last assignment for Interpol as he knew a lot about the case. We picked up the information about this drug mafia gathering last month before he switched jobs. I would be going with him, but as we are both not able to go, we cannot investigate. His murder is for certain linked with our Interpol investigation on the RFP-343 case.'

'You two were planning to go there, pretending to be what? Members of the plot?'

'Yes, we were planning to pretend to be foreign buyers and transporters,' Philip answered shortly.

'He did write the time ten thirty pm down in his agenda for today,' Miles remembered.

'Yes, that's the time we would be going there.'

Phoenix made a 'oh, right, now it comes together' face.

'What do you expect to find there?' Miles frowned in interest and bowed a little forwards.

'We weren't certain, but it is highly likely that drugs are being dealt there. Perhaps plans about expansion of drug transportation? That is my guess. Robert would be informing what we'd be doing today as he investigated here in this city for the last few weeks.'

'We could go there in your place,' Phoenix suggested to which Philip immediately made a shocked face.

'You two are not part of Interpol. It is extremely dangerous, Mr. Wright. You should not underestimate it. This gang most likely killed Robert. It definitely would not be wise,'Philip replied immediately.

'Do you have any idea who will be there exactly?' Miles asked him and crossed his legs under the table.

'Likely members of this criminal organization that distributes those drugs wrapped in cosmetics. We have no idea how many people will turn up there, nor what their exact roles are in this global drugs cartel. You can get in serious trouble, as we do not know at all what will happen there. They could be heavily armed. I am still not convinced of your plan to go in our place instead.'

'But it is the only way we have now to get more information on Klein's murder and to find evidence to prove that you are innocent.' _This is a bad idea, but it is the only way._ Phoenix looked to his left. Miles seemed deep in thought, likely doubting his proposal as well.

'You two should look for other ways to gain evidence,' Philip answered and leaned back against the back of the chair.

'What if we discuss this with Ms. Von Karma?' Phoenix proposed. This was his only way to gain information on a possible link with the criminal drug organization and Robert Klein's death.

Philip let out a loud sigh. 'You are putting yourselves in danger there.'

'We will make sure to plan everything as thorough as possible. Really. This is our only chance to come in contact with the possible group that these killers belong to. We could even meet the killers themselves. Perhaps they start bragging about it or something. Edgeworth?' Miles' eyes drifted in his direction. 'What are you thinking?'

'What I am thinking? Lots of things, to be honest. Yes, we are putting ourselves in danger. However, do we want to find out what happened to Robert Klein? Yes. Could we find an answer at that secret gathering? Yes, possibly. Do we want to gain evidence for your acquittal? Yes, we do too. I am measuring out what we should do.'

'And?' Phoenix asked hopefully, moving himself more in the prosecutor's direction.

'So, all in all, if there is a clear plan, we could be going in your place,' Miles answered and glanced at the defendant. Philip watched Miles for a while and then spoke up.

'Please, please be careful. I even had doubts about going with him, but I agreed because leaving him alone there was no option at all.' Phoenix sat on the edge of the chair, looking at Philip intensely.

'We'll prepare ourselves to the best of our abilities, Mr. Müller,' the prosecutor replied.

'If you are doing this, yes, please talk to Franziska about it. Discuss this extensively. She is aware of undercover procedures as she helped with preparing missions regularly.'

'We will talk to her about it when we have completed our investigation for today,' Phoenix told him.

'Be careful. Please,' he told them again, his eyes earnestly showing how worried he was.

'We will.' Philip saw how Phoenix and Miles stood up and closed the door behind them. Both attorneys exchanged looks.

'Hello, sirs!'

'...! Oh, hey, hello,' Phoenix said in surprise and turned around to see female officer Bianca Wilson saluting at them.

'I heard you two were coming, so I have been assigned to inform you about the current case of Robert Klein. The real Phoenix Wright in action! Wow!'

'Ah, yes,' Phoenix stuttered, slightly embarrassed.

'I know all the information about the case till now, so I'll inform you!'

'T-thank you, Ms. Wilson,' the lawyer replied.

'Please, just call me Bianca, alright?' She winked.

'O-okay.'

'Now then, follow me!'

* * *

Bianca pointed at two chairs in front of the desk when they arrived in a little office.

'Please, sit down. Would you like something to drink?'

'No, thank you,' Miles answered politely. Phoenix shook his head and thanked her as well.

'Alright, let's start then!' She sat down behind her desk. Before she could start talking, Phoenix began asking first.

'You have asked the guests from the hotel questions, right? Did they notice anything unusual?'

'Yes, I did, but nothing stood out. Similar testimonies. Only that they heard four shots and that was it. The people were inside and could or did not see what happened outside. It was dark and the parking lot only has one lamp post.'

'Any CCTV?'

'Yes, also nothing useful, unfortunately. It showed one side of the parking lot but not where the crime was committed. Nor did I see any suspicious things.'

'Have you found the murder weapon?' Phoenix had thought of all the questions he wanted to ask back in Miles' hotel room when he sat there.

'No, but the autopsy report said his death was caused by three shots in his heart by a pistol with a 0.44 caliber. It was estimated that it was fired from around twenty-five to thirty meters from the victim. We do not know the type or origin of pistol yet.' Bianca showed them the little plastic bag with the four bullets which were removed from the victim's body. 'They all have the same ballistic marks, so they were all fired from the same gun. The fourth bullet ended up through the stomach in the pancreas,' she said and opened the case file and autopsy report. 'I will translate the most important things for you. The shooter is likely skilled, as three of them hit the heart. As a Interpol of IJC member, he will more than likely have enemies. The motive is not clear, but Mr. Müller is, according to Inspector De Koning, most likely the killer. He is currently researching his motive. There is not much other than this evidence here on the table.'

'Was anything found at the crime scene?' Phoenix asked Bianca.

'Well, the forensics have investigated the area and released it not long ago. Nothing extraordinary was found. You are allowed to take another good look, but I doubt you will find anything. We also searched his hotel room. Only his passports, agenda, clothes, paid receipts and some other items were found.' She showed them some large bags with items. Miles carefully went through all of them.

'Binoculars?' Miles murmured when he saw the item in one of the bags. They seemed made of very high quality and attracted the prosecutor's attention.

'Yes, we found them in his room, in his suitcase.' _Phoenix did not search in there during our 'visit', did he?_ 'It is nothing special, regular routine. We just collected all his belongings. Nothing of his belongings stood out. He had two passports, but his Interpol work explains that.'

'Alright.' _We must have failed to notice these binoculars._ 'Did he have a car?' Miles raised another question.

'A car? Yes, I believe so. These are car keys we found on his body, so it was likely his.' It took her a while to find the right plastic bag. 'It was parked at the parking lot of the hotel. We did not find anything unusual inside.' The logo was clearly seen on the key through the bag. _An Alfa Romeo_ , Miles thought. _It's a nice brand._

Phoenix looked once more at the belongings of the victim.

'Where is his mobile phone?' he asked and Miles looked through the bags upon hearing his friend's question.

'You're right, it isn't there.'

'Ah, yes, the phone. It is quite a problem, to be honest,' Bianca told them, nervously fidgeting with her hands.

'A problem?'

Bianca nodded. 'We expect that the victim had his phone in his hand while walking to his car, however, as he was short four times, one bullet went through the phone and ended up in his pancreas while the other three hit the heart. After the bullet went through the mobile phone, it then fell on the ground. Thus…,'

'Extracting data is a challenge,' Miles finished.

'Yes, unfortunately so.'

'What about other personal devices like a computer?'

'We have not found anything like a laptop. It was not in his hotel room during the begin of our search.'

'Did he have an office nearby? In the Peace Palace, perhaps? It could be there,' the prosecutor replied, putting the bags back on the desk.

'Yes, that is why Inspector De Koning is currently at the meeting room where the IJC shortly gathered after the first conference day. He and a team of experts are investigating and looking for it. He does not have a personal office, but had a personal desk in the IJC room.'

'And where did he live? Somewhere nearby?' Phoenix continued and looked at the crime scene photo which lay in front of him on the desk. A dead Robert Klein was surrounded by red snow. It was a horrible sight. He now also saw the broken phone next to the body.

'We were not sure, so we asked the suspect, Mr. Müller. He told us that he was busy with selling his house in Wiesbaden, Germany, where he worked before. He drove a few times to here and there, but often booked the same hotel. He could not buy a house here in the area yet, as he needed the money of his German house to be able to get a mortgage for a new house.'

'That is quite understandable. Is his property in Wiesbaden being investigated?'

'Yes, the German police is starting today, so it will take some time before everything is done.'

'The German police has personally told the bad news to his parents. He does not have a wife or children.'

'So, to summarize it all… there is not much known,' Phoenix concluded in disappointment.

'Err, not yet, no, but stay positive, Mr. Wright!'

'Without crucial information, this case is unsolvable or will not be in favor of my client,' Phoenix sighed. It was not looking good for Philip Müller. However, a clear motive was essential to get him officially labeled as 'the main suspect and thus killer'.

'Err.. well, I do have some news for you, Mr. Wright,' she said, coming over anxiously. She stuttered and began playing with the pen in her hand. 'We got crucial information this morning.'

'What kind of crucial information?!'

'A witness told us some things. The police interviewed him earlier via the phone. He called by himself and told what he saw. I-I am afraid it only confirms that your client is the killer.' She looked down at her keyboard.

'What?!'

'It's better you visit the witness to get the detailed information in person. I hope you can find some contradictions in his testimony or... well…' she said with a dejected expression on her face.

'My job is not getting easier at all now,' the lawyer muttered and glanced at Miles. _Why is nothing ever going my way? Ugh._

She bowed forward over the desk to the two men. 'It is not looking well for Mr. Müller. He does seem like a very kind man and I really doubt if he is the killer. It's a gut feeling I have. Don't tell the inspector, or he will get me off the case.'

'No, no, of course not. I am glad you believe in him,' Phoenix replied immediately.

'But I am sure you will find the right evidence and crack the case and prove Mr. Müller's innocence! You always do! My friend I told you about said you'd always believe in your client, find him or her innocent and that you'd find to the truth to every case!' She made a fist and held it in the air to encourage him. 'You know that your client is innocent, so I have faith in you, Mr. Wright!' Her eyes twinkled a little when speaking of her admiration for him.

'Hehe, thanks,' Phoenix blushed and scratched his neck. He heard a snort coming from Miles' direction.

'Alright, good luck you two!' Bianca answered, gave them a smile and guided them out.

* * *

'She told us it was somewhere around here,' Phoenix said looked around the streets when they waited for the pedestrian's traffic light to turn green.

'There it is.' Miles pointed at the sign hanging on one of the buildings when they crossed the zebra path. A few centimeters of snow covered the ground and some children ran on the pavement throwing snowballs to each other. Miles opened the door of the cafe and felt the pleasant warmth coming from inside.

'It's a lot better inside than outside, that's for sure.' It was like Phoenix could read his mind. They walked to the counter of the cafe and a woman greeted them.

'Sorry, we only speak English. We are looking for one of your employees, Mr. Ben de Graaf, that is.'

'Oh, yes, he works here. If you want, I can call him for you?' she replied.

'Yes, please. Thank you,' Phoenix answered and saw how she vanished. It took a while for her to come back, but with positive result. A young adult followed her back to the counter.

'Mr. De Graaf?' Phoenix asked.

'Yes, I am Ben de Graaf, who are you?'

'I am Phoenix Wright, a lawyer, I am doing some more investigation about the murder of yesterday. This is Miles Edgeworth, a prosecutor, he is also part of the investigation. The police told me to talk to you about what you witnessed.' Phoenix showed the badge on his lapel.

Bianca had told them that in the early morning, a certain Ben de Graaf had called about the murder. She did not tell them what information he had, but instead advised them to talk to him. And so they did.

'Would you mind speaking to us for a bit?'

'Yes, if that is ok?' the young man turned his head to his co worker.

'Sure, but please hurry, we only have one chef today and that is you. You still have to prepare for lunch time though, as it will get busy again.'

'Yes, yes, understood.'

The three men sat down at one of the tables near the window. It was quiet, only a few guests were having a late breakfast.

'You work here full-time?' Miles asked the young blond haired man with bright blue eyes.

'No, I am still in university, this is my side-job. Otherwise, I can't pay my room I rent here in The Hague.'

'Ah, okay.'

'So, you are the lawyer of the man they arrested?' the young man asked Phoenix. 'He is German, right?'

'Yes I am his lawy-, wait-, how did you know?' Phoenix asked him surprised.

'It's in the papers. Man of the International Judicial Committee murdered in front of his hotel. It seems that the police lacks information.'

'News spreads quickly, it seems,' Miles commented and took a sip of the tea that he ordered.

'Yes, but how did you know the man who is arrested is German?' Phoenix asked. The university student smirked and crossed his arms.

'That is exactly why I called the police this early morning. I saw the news and I knew I had to share the information I have...'

'Yeah, but how did you know-?!' Phoenix asked anxiously, hanging on every word the man was going to say.

'I am coming to that. Alright, so I came back from the fitness school yesterday in the late afternoon. When I cycled back to my room I rent, I always come across that four-star hotel. Yesterday, I heard four clear shots when I cycled at the end of that road and was then almost hit by a car which was speeding away from that hotel. I had no idea those were gunshots and that someone was murdered. I thought some young boys were lighting fireworks.' Both Miles and Phoenix listened carefully to what the young man had to say. 'A car came speeding from behind almost right after I heard those four loud pangs. I was almost ridden over, I fell with my bicycle into the bushes but was able to get a glimpse of the number plate of the car. Luckily, I had no major injuries, just some scratches. I got up quickly and tried to follow it, but after a while I lost him. It was really like the car was escaping a crime scene.'

'And you saw it was… a German car?' Miles guessed. 'You must be aware that seeing a German car in the Netherlands and especially this city is not an unicum, right? I am very positive there are far more cars from Germany driving here in The Hague,' he also warned.

'Yes, but I am definitely not wrong! The street was not that busy and the car came from the direction of the hotel just after I heard the shots behind me! The driver drove with extreme speed from the hotel's direction. Then it was like I told you, he rode me off my bike! It must have been the killer! Really!' Ben's serious look told them he was convinced of his own story. 'And you just confirmed the man in custody of the crime is German when you asked how I knew!'

 _Ugh, did I?_ 'Alright, so you saw the car speeding away. I am sure it was just like you said, but without evidence claiming your testimony is right-,' Phoenix began.

'Not so fast. I was able to take a picture of the car,' Ben interrupted and wagged one finger.

'What?! Y-you took a photo?! Can you show us?' Phoenix's eyes grew wider.

'I will only show you if you make sure that man is rightfully punished. I want to know who was in that car! He almost killed me! If it was indeed that current suspect, then I will sue him,' the young man said slightly annoyed and incredibly serious. 'He likely has killed that man at the hotel and almost killed me when he fled the crime scene. You are his lawyer, so I want you to get the sentence he deserves. If you are a not a corrupt lawyer, you'd do that.'

'If the suspect who is in custody is the one who almost ran you over, he will be punished for that,' Miles said. 'Mark my words, they are coming from a prosecutor.'

'Alright, then.' Ben got the smartphone of of his pocket and looked for the photo. 'See?'

'Use your car knowledge, Edgeworth,' Phoenix said amusingly.

'That is indeed a German car, seeing its number plate,' Miles commented. The picture was slightly dark, as it was already dawn at around half past five in February. _Ben had probably used the flash function on his phone's camera._

'How are you so sure?' Phoenix asked him.

'Are you doubting me?' the young man asked irritated, moving the phone away from Phoenix's view.

'N-no, no! I just do not know much about number plates from abroad.' The lawyer shook his head.

'I can assure you that this is a German vehicle. I had a number plate for my car when I lived in Germany in my... younger years. I cannot see it well, but I believe it has the letter D on the left side, which comes from the word 'Deutschland'. It should have a German region or city code on it as well, also on the left. Here it says…' Miles took the phone in his hand to take a better look.

'The photo is not that clear, sorry about that. I was shaking and the car left in a high speed.'

'I cannot read it, unfortunately,' the prosecutor sighed and gave the phone back to its owner.

'What type of car is it?' Phoenix then asked.

'A black Audi Q2,' the prosecutor answered immediately, without having to think. The number plate was a challenge, but the type of car was more than clear for him to see. The model was from around 2017, so it was an older model, but definitely a well built car. The young man put his phone away.

'Is there anything else you saw and would like to share with us?' Miles asked Ben, who was regularly checking the time on his watch.

'No, not that I can think of,' he answered.

'Alright, if something comes to mind, please call me,' Phoenix said and got out a businesscard he found somewhere in his pockets. 'Here you are.'

'Thanks.'

'Thank you very much for your cooperation, Mr. De Graaf. We will help the police and make sure they will find the right man,' Miles said. He could not guarantee that, but having this witness trust him was important.

'Thank you,' Phoenix also thanked him and shook his hand.

'You promised me that if he is guilty, he will get his punishment,' Ben reminded him during the firm handshake. It was clear he trusted the prosecutor more than him.

'Yes, I remember clearly, don't worry.'

They put on their coats and said goodbye to Ben and the lady behind the counter.

'Well, unfortunately, this visit has not helped us to get new useful information. The photo is very unclear. There are a lot of these cars here, so let's just hope it is just another German car and not Mr. Müller's,' Miles said when he opened the door of the cafe.

'No clear evidence yet. Ugh. Welcome to a defense lawyer's life,' Phoenix muttered exhaustedly and entered the snowstorm outside together with his investigate partner.

* * *

 **A/N**

A big thanks to my lovely betareader **confusedsiewmai**!

Find us both on tumblr!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next chapter is coming soon!

Please leave a comment if you liked this chapter!

See you next time, pals! :D


	9. Chapter 9 - 25 February 2029, Part 2

**4 Days**

 **Chapter 9 - 25 February 2029, Part 2**

Instead of directly going back from the cafe to the police station, Miles insisted on stopping by a certain spot. The prosecutor asked the taxi driver to stop at the 'Scheveningse bosjes', the small bush that Philip talked about and where he and Robert had originally planned to meet at half past five on the day Robert Klein was killed.

'I don't think we'll find much. Only Philip Müller has been here. He waited and left again,' the lawyer said to the prosecutor and stepped out of the vehicle.

'It does not hurt to take a look, Wright. Just in case we _do_ find something related to the case.'

'I see no public CCTV around the main road, as we already suspected,' Phoenix commented and followed a gravel path covered in snow further into the bush to an open spot, free of any vegetation. Two large tree trunks lay opposite of each other with around a two meter gap in between. Phoenix crouched down in the middle. With his glove, he rubbed away some snow and a few small black branches and ash appeared. _It's likely that some people had sat down here on the trunks to roast some marshmallows or something_ , Phoenix thought. After removing some more snow, his thoughts were confirmed when he came across a black burnt marshmallow. _What's that?_ Just before standing up again, he saw something yellow sticking out of the snow. His hands reached for it and he let out a sigh in annoyance when he saw what the item was. Phoenix stood up and inspected the fire match box. There were still quite some matches in it. Slightly disappointed, the lawyer put the object in his coat and searched for the prosecutor.

He found Miles strolling along the sides of the gravel path, looking to find something in the bushes. However, to no avail. It was quiet and the trees were covered by the fallen snow. There were no traces of Philip Müller. And if there were, they were not visible because of all the snow. _He had only waited for twenty minutes and likely in his car owing to the cold_ , Miles deduced as he looked around.

'There is nothing here. Let's get going,' Miles proposed and walked back to the asphalted road. They returned to the waiting driver.

'I told you so,' the lawyer muttered but then spoke up when something came to mind. 'We might just have enough time to visit the Peace Palace. I think that inspector has left by now and that gives _us_ the opportunity to take a look,' Phoenix spoke when they both had settled down in the backseat.

'Yes, indeed. Perhaps we can speak to the IJC members who worked together with the victim,' Miles added and told the driver their next destination.

* * *

As there was no conference, there were only a few guards on duty. With a little searching around, on the second floor at the end of the hall, they found a wooden door with the golden letters 'IJC' on it.

Phoenix knocked twice, waiting for an answer. The lawyer glanced at a tired-looking Miles when he waited. It was stressful and tiring to go around the city and the lack of sleep did not help them either. Miles seemed more in thought too, especially during their trips in the taxi. _He is worried about Franziska, isn't he?_

'Hello, is there someone in here?' the lawyer tried after a while and knocked again. A few seconds later, a man opened the door in a hurry, resulting in the two attorneys flinching and taking a step back.

'Sorry gentlemen, I was on the telephone and did not hear you.' He took another breath. 'How can I help?'

'Ah, yes, well, we heard the police came by for Robert Klein's case. I am the defendant's lawyer, Phoenix Wright, nice to meet you,' the spiky-haired lawyer introduced himself and shook hands with the older man. 'We are doing some research, that is why we came here.'

'Ah, hello, nice to meet you. My name is Koen Visser, I am the head and spokesman of the IJC,' the man with grey moustache said. 'And you… Mr. Edgeworth, isn't it? From the lecture on our first day.'

'Yes, you are totally correct. I am Miles Edgeworth, Chief Prosecutor of the LA district.' Miles and Koen Visser shook hands as well.

'So I was right!' the man laughed heartily, glad he recognized the prosecutor.

'Ah, yes, thank you,' the prosecutor replied modestly.

'Excuse me, come in, come in. But you said you are here for Robert. The police and that inspector left around half an hour ago. They asked me a lot of questions and searched his desk. They did not tell me a lot, only that he was murdered and asked me how and when he got the job. I am still horrified at the idea that he is dead. He just started working here, it has only been a week or two.'

'Despite him being new, what is your opinion on him?' the prosecutor asked and settled down on a brown leather armchair at the large table when Koen pointed at it and asked them to sit down. The IJC room existed of a large space with a small wall of separation. At one side there was a large meeting table with a screen and projector, whereas on the other side a few desks were placed.

'Robert was a nice lad, he fitted in well. Kind and hardworking from what I could see in the short period of time we worked together.' Koen sat down opposite and rested his arms on the table.

'You knew of his previous job, am I right?' Phoenix asked Koen.

'Ah, yes, that is why we asked him to join our team. We sought for someone with a lot of experience in and knowledge about global crime. He did an outstanding job at Interpol and thus we offered him a job here at the IJC. '

'How did you gain the information about him? How did you know he did a good job at Interpol?' The lawyer unconsciously played with his hands under the table.

'The IJC has many connections. I met the head of Interpol during another of our conferences and I told him that I was looking for someone with certain qualities. He knew Robert personally and recommended him.'

'That was the chief of the global Interpol? Not of a regional branch of Interpol?'

'No, it was the highest chief. Is it important information?'

'Well… err… do you know a Mr. Philip Müller?' Phoenix asked him, not answering the question Koen asked.

'Philip? Yes, I know him. He is the chief of Interpol's German branch in Wiesbaden. Funny enough… the Inspector also asked whether I knew him,' he replied and modeled his long grey moustache with the tips of his fingers.

'Do you know him well, Mr. Visser?' Miles spoke and crossed his legs underneath the table.

'I met him quite a few times, yes. The first time was some years ago. Philip is a kind lad, always polite and he has a lot of knowledge. I also met him briefly at the conference yesterday. What about him?' Koen seemed to be curious at why they asked further on some matters.

'He... is the main suspect in Robert Klein's case,' Phoenix finally revealed.

'What?!' The older man's eyes grew and even the ends of his moustache seemed to jump in shock.

'Yes, well, and he is now my client. In order to know what happened we need to gain information.'

'Philip? That is... quite a surprise to me. They were good colleagues, that I have heard. He is a nice and kind man… So, Philip being the defendant is unimaginable, to say the least.'

'They were colleagues who could work well together? There was no rivalry?'

'Yes, that is how I heard it. But about the rivalry…,' the man with short grey hair began.

'There was some kind of competition between the two?' Miles tried.

'Well, I am not sure. But I think you must know that before we offered Robert the job here at the IJC, we had first asked Philip to come and work for us.'

'Huh? You offered both of them the same vacature?' Phoenix was now slightly confused and raised an eyebrow.

'Yes, I already knew Philip before I knew Robert. However, Philip took very long to make a decision. He said he had difficulties with working here in the Netherlands as he had his personal life in Germany. He did not say more on the matter and we expected him to decline, so we offered Robert the same job when we were informed about him. However, eventually, in our surprise Philip and Robert both accepted the job in the end. So, yes, we had a problem and we told them. We eventually had a preference for Robert as he was willing to live here and we shared that information with Philip. Philip said he understood and gave Robert the opportunity to work for us while he would keep his job as chief of Interpol in Germany.'

'Did Philip seem angry that Robert got the job?'

'I don't think it was anger. It was more like... disappointment. He agreed to it.'

'Does a job as a IJC member include a lot of, how do I put it? Privileges?' the lawyer asked.

'A high salary is included, yes, if that is what you you mean.'

'Ah, yes,' Phoenix stammered a bit. _Could that be a motive? Philip agreed to giving Robert the job-switch. Perhaps he changed his mind and regretted giving the job to Robert Klein? It sounds illogical. You don't kill someone later over a job, right? That pig-look-a-like Inspector will probably think that this motive is sustained. Ugh._

'The police came by and investigated the IJC room. Do you perhaps know if the police had found anything? Any items that belonged to Robert Klein?' Miles changed the subject and tried scanning around the room to see if he saw something conspicuous.

'Err, let me think…,' Koen said and looked around, deep in thought. 'Yes, they took some things with them. This is Robert's desk.' He stood up, walked further and pointed at a near wooden desk behind the attached room formed by a thin wall.

'They found some of his belongings in the drawers, but I don't believe it was much.'

'Do you remember any items?'

'His laptop, and some other things...'

'Other things?' Miles replied in a tone which demanded more concrete information.

'Ah yes I remember now.' Koen adjusted his glasses. 'The police also took a paper notebook with them.'

'A notebook?'

'Yes, a small one that would fit in your breast pocket. I remember seeing him writing down some things when we would be working here. He always had it with him but forgot to take it with him the day he was murdered. So, yes, it was still on his desk. Robert said he wrote things down that would pop up in his mind.'

'Have you seen what he wrote down in it?'

'...Yes I did, actually,' Koen admitted and sighed. 'I know that I am not allowed to look into other people's stuff, but I was just very curious. So, I admit it. I took a peek when he had left and I saw it laying on his desk.'

'Alright, what exactly did he write down?' Miles asked, putting his hands in the pocket of his black suede coat.

'I just took a glance. I remembered two long strings of numbers. I had no idea what it meant. And on another page there was this strange pattern of lines and squares. The rest were short notes on meetings we had and titles of books I believe he still wanted to read.'

'Those are definitely quite a variety of notes,' Miles commented.

'Like I said, he wrote in the little book whenever something came to mind.'

'Alright.'

'I don't think I can help you with anything else.'

'Is there anyone else we can speak to?' Phoenix asked, glancing around but not seeing anyone else in the working and meeting room.

'I am the only one working for the IJC today. I decided it would be best to give the rest the day off, like all the guests. They are quite shocked by Robert's death.'

'I can imagine that,' Phoenix replied, compassionately.

'Good luck with your investigation and defending of Philip. I'm quite surprised they arrested him, he is a calm and collected man. I hope you can convince others of his innocence with evidence.'

 _Well, perhaps once we find evidence that is in his favor, yes,_ Phoenix thought in frustration, but nonetheless answered with a polite 'thank you'.

Miles thanked Koen Visser as well and they exited the room, ready for the next place on their list.

* * *

They made a quick stop at the hotel as Phoenix noticed earlier that he had forgotten to take his wallet with him. The same taxi driver had driven them everywhere and now and then told Phoenix and Miles about some nice tourist spots they definitely had to visit before leaving the country. The two men had nodded, but in their heads they knew that this case wouldn't give them any time to take a rest. They also had no idea how long it would take. _Perhaps we have to stay here for longer,_ Miles thought. _I don't hope so._

'Got it?' Miles asked, leaning against the doorpost of the lawyer's hotel room. He had scolded Phoenix earlier for forgetting such an important object.

'Yup, we can go,' Phoenix replied and came back with the black leather item in his hand.

'So, off we go to the police station?'

'Yeah, we have travelled a lot today and perhaps Bianca has gained more information. We also have to speak to my client again after the new information we gathered,' the lawyer answered and shut the hotel room door.

The two men stepped outside as they saw the taxi driver smoke a cigarette while leaning against his car. Phoenix stood still as they arrived at the crime scene. The parking lot was quiet. It was like nothing had happened. No body and no traces of blood. People passed by the two attorneys, not aware of the tragedy that had taken place on this precise spot.

'This case is quite complicated. Especially because there is not much useful evidence,' he spoke. ' _Or_ it is evidence against Mr. Müller,' the man with the spiky black hair continued.

'Especially because his death is likely linked to a global criminal organization.'

'Yes, precisely,' Phoenix agreed and walked further.

'Wright,' Miles suddenly spoke after a few seconds.

'Hm?' The lawyer stopped walking and turned around to the man behind him.

'What is that?' the prosecutor asked and pointed at a branch of a tree a few meters away. Phoenix squinted his eyes slightly to try to see what Miles meant.

'A... cloth?' Phoenix muttered, not sure whether that was the correct answer. Without saying anything else, the two men walked down the parking lot to the line of trees.

'It seems like some short of shawl,' Miles commented and reached for the thing that was wrapped around a thin branch.

'Can you get it?' Phoenix asked, looking at the prosecutor who stood on his tiptoes. 'You're taller than me.'

'I- ugh, I am trying. And we- ugh- only have a centimeter difference or so,' the man huffed and let out a big sigh when he got hold of the blue-mint colored cloth and stood on his two feet again. Both men looked down at the item in the prosecutor's hands. 'It's… a shawl? It has a ribbon around it, like it is some sort of gift. Why is it here?'

'It could have just flown away. It does not mean that this shawl or cloth is related to our case.'

'It could be as well.'

'I'm normally the one jumping to conclusions fast. But… aren't you now?' Phoenix said, still glancing at the item in the prosecutor's hands.

'I _do_ think this object could be very likely related to our case, Wright.' Miles seemed somewhat very sure of himself and showed Phoenix a small smirk.

'And why that so?' The spiky-haired lawyer asked, crossing his arms. 'You discovered something, didn't you?' _That look. Yes, it was that smug face of his when he thinks he is being all clever._

'You'll see once we get back to the police station.'

'Alright, I'm curious to know what you seem to have figured out, Chief Prosecutor,' Phoenix replied with an inquisitive twinkling in his eyes and after a quick search around the trees, they walked over to the taxi.

* * *

 **A/N**

Thanks for betareading again, confusedsiewmai!

To all the readers, thanks for reading and following this story!

See you in chapter ten! :D


	10. Chapter 10 - 25 February 2029, Part 3

**4 Days**

 **Chapter 10 - 25 February 2029, Part 3**

The sun had decided to show herself a little in the mid-afternoon and immediately most snow had disappeared from the streets. Trying to avoid the large puddles on the pavement that were a mix of water, snow, ice and sand, the two attorneys eventually arrived at the automatic doors of the police building. When Miles and Phoenix stepped inside, their eyes were drawn to a woman in her late thirties sitting on one of the waiting chairs near the entrance. She looked up and gave them a soft smile. The woman had put her brown hair in a ponytail and was dressed formally in the combination of black and white. She seemed to be reading some papers which she had put on her lap.

'Hello,' Phoenix greeted with a smile and walked past her to the general desk. Miles followed, gave the woman a nod as a greeting and stood next to Phoenix at the counter.

'Bianca? Ms. Wilson?' the lawyer said in order to get the certain woman's attention.

'Oh, hello again, sirs,' the female officer answered, looking up to them from her computer screen.

'Hi there. We have a question. We heard that the police has taken some of Robert Klein's items from the IJC room in the Peace Palace. The head of the IJC said that there was also a laptop and a notebook that the police took,' Phoenix spoke and smiled at her.

'Ah yes, the Inspector said something about that when he returned. He also told me about how he was not allowed to investigate the computer as it could hold classified files. First, someone from Interpol must take a look before he can. So, I first need to contact Interpol about it.'

'Oh, really?' Phoenix asked in surprise. She nodded. 'And the little paper notebook?'

'I believe that the Inspector is currently investigating it. Sorry.'

'Can we see Robert Klein's personal belongings once more?' Miles asked.

'Yes, of course!' She stood up, opened a door to a little room next to the counter and led them in.

'Here it is,' Bianca said after getting the bags out of a safe and putting them on a table.

'Thank you,' the prosecutor answered and immediately began searching through the evidence.

'Is there something in particular that you are looking for, Mr. Edgeworth?' Bianca asked when she saw the prosecutor placing some bags to the side which he apparently did not need.

'Yes, I believe it was here-,' he began. 'Aha!' Miles chose a little bag with several papers and held it up.

'The receipts?' Phoenix and Bianca asked in unison, both very confused.

'We found this wrapped around a branch of a tree near the crime scene just before arriving here, Ms. Wilson,' Miles said, reaching for the cloth he had put in a small bag.

'A shawl?' Bianca asked but then her eyes grew bigger. 'Ah!' she let out and pointed at the shawl.

'Um… am I the only one not getting it?' The baffled man with black spikes exchanged glances with both the prosecutor and the police officer.

'When I saw this shawl I immediately remembered this receipt that the victim had. It was in one of the bags you showed us earlier.' Miles' eyes scanned the text on the little white piece of paper.

'Mint-colored silk shawl, fifty by fifty centimeters, the brand is Prada. He had two pay four euros extra to get it nicely wrapped. The total was two hundred and sixty-nine euros.'

'T-that is an expensive gift,' Phoenix stuttered. _Four euros for wrapping it up? For just a ribbon? T-that is insane!_

'Let's see the tag on the shawl,' Bianca said and used special gloves to get the item out of the bag.

'Yes, it is Prada, sirs. And it is also wrapped with a decorative ribbon. This must be it. You were right, Mr. Edgeworth. It seems that our forensics failed to find or notice it on the crime scene.'

'It could have been stuck to something like underneath a parked car or covered by the snow before ending up in the tree,' Miles replied.

'But what was this ridiculously expensive shawl doing outside the hotel?' Phoenix asked, still very much in shock by the price.

'Likely, the victim had it with him when he was killed and it was blown away by the wind. However, what _I'd_ think an interesting question would be is why he bought this shawl in the first place,' Miles commented, looking up from the bag to his investigate partner.

'It was wrapped as a gift… is it for a female?' Bianca replied, trying to brainstorm.

'...That woman,' Phoenix suddenly said, glancing at Miles. The prosecutor nodded.

'That is exactly what I deduced.'

'That woman?' She watched both men and obviously did not know who they meant. 'Oh, don't tell me-! He had a secret lover?!' Bianca exclaimed after some seconds and pointing at the shawl excitingly again.

'Y-yes, t-that _could_ indeed be the case,' Miles answered, surprised by the enthusiastic outburst of the female police officer. _We need to speak to that receptionist again. He knows more._

'We will keep the shawl here with the rest of the evidence.' Bianca took the bag from Miles.

'Alright.'

'Back to our investigation of today. About the witness who told us that the car near the crime scene was German, do you have any more news on that?' Phoenix asked.

'Oh, yes! Half an hour ago I got a mail from the police traffic department! They told me that a black German car had been flashed by a speed camera in a street nearby the crime scene.'

'What?! D-did they sent you the picture?' _Could it be-_

'Yup! They did!' She exited the little room and sat down at her desk, looking back at her screen. She seemed to be looking for something and frowned her eyebrows. 'Here, it is! Come stand next to me, so you can see.'

The mail she received had an attached file. The two men saw how she clicked on the photofile and it opened. It showed a car and in the corner, the number plate was enlarged. 'The time this photo was taken is five twenty-seven pm, so right after the shots were heard at the parking lot.'

'It's the same type of car that was in Mr. De Graaf's photo. I am very positive,' Miles sighed. He was feeling frustrated as he didn't want it to be true. 'The country code was the letter D for Deutschland. And...it says….WI as the region code, Edgeworth,' Phoenix spoke and bowed forward in the direction of the computer screen to make sure he was correct. 'What does it stand for?'

'...It's the abbreviation for Wiesbaden, Wright,' was the only thing Miles could say and Phoenix looked up from the screen at him. _This is looking very bad for Mr. Müller_. _Sorry,_ _Franziska. You are wrong. He is guilty._ 'Before we jump to conclusions too fast… Ms. Wilson, did you check the owner of the vehicle?' The prosecutor then popped the question both had wanted to ask Bianca.

'I was about to do that, sir!' She opened a different program on her computer and typed in the number plate precisely as it was written in the corner of the photo she had received.

'And... enter!' With a little exaggeration, she pressed the enter button on her keyboard. A different page was loaded and a new window popped up on the screen.

'Let's see…,' she scanned the information on the screen. Let's scroll down…,' she murmured, but then fell silent. 'Err… it belongs to German citizen Philip Müller, living in Wiesbaden, like we expected...' Bianca's voice was soft when she spoke and glanced at the lawyer anxiously. 'He registered the car in 2020.'

 _There are so many German cars here, just like Edgeworth said… Why of all cars does it have to be his?! AAARGH!_ The only thing he could do was let out a very, very long sigh. 'Grrn,' Phoenix grumbled in frustration.

'I really hoped it was not his,' Bianca sighed, once again feeling she had let this amazing lawyer, Phoenix Wright, down. 'I am sorry, sirs.' Phoenix saw how bad she felt, now that the truth about the car was confirmed.

'You have nothing to be sorry for, Bianca,' he tried to tell her in a friendly tone, although he knew he was done for. Her face slightly lit up at the use of her first name.

'Indeed. You are just executing your job, Ms. Wilson.' Miles turned to Phoenix. 'Well, Wright, let's have a serious conversation with Mr. Müller, shall we? He is in very big trouble if you'd ask me,' the prosecutor then spoke and took the lead in their walk to the cellblocks.

* * *

'Oh, you're back? I spoke to you only a few hours ago,' Philip said, slightly surprised as he sat down in the interrogation room. He felt like he spent more time here than in his cell.

'We have just come back from a witness who saw a car speeding away from the crime scene. He was almost run over, but managed to get up and get a picture of the car and license plate,' Phoenix said when sitting down opposite of the German man.

'Is it the car from the killer who shot Robert?'

'... That could be, although I don't hope so for your sake,' Miles spoke with an utmost serious face.

'What's wrong?' Philip was getting slightly nervous. They glanced at him.

'Apparently, the car seen at the crime scene is the the same type of car you own. Even the car plate number is the same. In other words, _your car_ has been flashed for speeding along the road near the crime scene at the time of the murder. We had the number plate checked. It is yours, without a doubt,' Miles said firmly with an expressionless face.

'It is time to be honest, Mr. Müller,' Phoenix took over. 'I cannot help you if you lie to us.'

'My car is in the garage of the hotel I stay, I am honest with you!'

'It could be there now, but what about yesterday half past five? It was obviously not.'

'Please, believe me, I did not kill him!' Philip smashed him fists on the table.

'Alright, did you drive from Germany to here? Your car was not stolen by any chance?' the prosecutor questioned the Interpol chief.

'Yes, it is doable, only a few hours. And no, my car wasn't stolen. I'm quite sure it must be some people from that criminal group who plotted all this. However, I have no idea who Robert was talking to in that gang. He would be informing me about that… but was then murdered before he could tell me.'

'Hm…,' Phoenix thought while holding his magatama in his right hand under the table. _The man had no psyche locks._

'I am telling the truth, Mr. Wright, Mr. Edgeworth!'

'We spoke to the head of the IJC today. We heard you were offered Robert Klein's job first before the IJC also offered it to him. You agreed to let Robert have the job?' Miles asked him after his slightly emotional outburst a moment ago.

'Yes, I did. I had my doubts before but decided to accept the offer, but then I heard that we both did. They eventually said they had a preference for Robert and as I had my doubt before. Robert was very enthusiastic, so I was okay with it and agreed to stay where I am. Honestly! The Inspector thinks my motive is killing him because I wanted the job. That is not true! He is trying to pin it all down on me! I didn't kill him! And I'd never kill anyone over some stupid job!' Philip exclaimed and stood up while he yelled. He then stood a few seconds silently gazing at them. 'Err… I'm sorry,' he apologized and then sat down again. 'I did not mean to yell.'

'Mr. Müller, how was your contact with Robert after all this?' Phoenix sat back in the uncomfortable plastic chair. _He is innocent. Philip is not lying, so I see no psyche locks. He is getting winded up and stressed because he did not do it._

'We spoke about the matter and nothing really changed. He thanked me and said he would give his best to finish the last weeks of his job at Interpol successfully. He kept his word and worked very hard even though he had two jobs at the same time.'

'Alright, that is clear. I have no other questions at the moment.' Phoenix looked at Miles, who shook his head, letting him know he had none either. 'Thank you, Mr. Müller. We'll try to find more evidence, alright? Please understand that we want to clear you of the suspicion and we'll do it with our utmost effort. I believe you are innocent, but that hairy inspector thinks differently. We need decisive evidence to convince him,' Phoenix said and stood up.

'Yes, I understand. Please, help me.' _He is begging us for help. Philip Müller isn't the killer. But what did his car do on the scene of the crime? Ugh, I'm feeling a terrible headache coming._

'We hope to find more information or evidence tonight. We'll let you know as soon as possible,' Phoenix whispered. Miles gave Philip a glance before exiting the room behind the lawyer. He closed the door behind him.

'You really believe he is innocent? His car from Germany is seen here at the crime scene. He and Klein had a meeting at the time he was murdered, for god's sake, Wright! He is playing with us!'

'Then what is his motive?' Phoenix asked Miles. The prosecutor sighed and the lawyer continued talking. 'He agreed to let Robert have the job. And what about that woman that the receptionist of our hotel talked about?' Miles let out another deep sigh.

'But-'

'Where is it?' Suddenly, a woman passed them in the hallway. Both Miles and Phoenix stopped talking and looked in her direction. She stood still and inspected both attorneys.

'Oh, hello again-,' she said and kindly and elegantly bowed her head a little.

'Here, this door,' Inspector De Koning interrupted her, who apparently wiggled behind her. He walked past her but then noticed the men in the blue and red clothing.

'Well, well, here we have that lawyer and prosecutor again,' the fat man announced, showing displeasure. 'I checked it and indeed, your badges are real. However, they are no use now.' He smirked maliciously. 'This is Mr. Müller's new Dutch lawyer, Ms. Claire Halvemaan. She was the only one who accepted to take Mr. Müller's case after I reached out to her and a few other lawyers. You are not needed anymore, American lawyer,' he told Phoenix harshly and opened the door Miles and Phoenix just exited.

'What?! You…! Y-you are his new lawyer?!' Phoenix exclaimed and looked at the female with a confused face.

'Yes, you two didn't know? It was decided at noon today. I thought you, his previous lawyer, knew.' Claire seemed quite puzzled herself as the important news was apparently not spread.

 _Bianca did not tell us. Did she know about it?_ Phoenix thought and spoke up again. 'But we just started our investigation!' He said loudly and stopped the inspector and woman from stepping into the room. At the table inside, Philip watched the commotion with a blank expression. He had no idea what was going on. 'I just started! We have figured out some things, but we are not done! I cannot hand this case over yet!'

'That's too bad. Well, just go back to your hotel and finish that conference of yours. Go sightseeing. We do not need you anymore. Stay away from our investigation and hand in a report with your information on this case for Ms. Halvemaan,' he replied.

'Have you even asked or informed Mr. Müller?!' the flabbergasted lawyer asked.

'He has no other choice. You are a foreign lawyer, mate. It's all in his best interest,' Inspector De Koning answered.

'But we only had one day! He needs to accept her as his lawyer first!' Phoenix tried. The Inspector used his weight to push the male lawyer away from the doorway and guided the woman inside. She glanced shortly at the two men before heading in.

'You know the way out,' Michiel de Koning spat at Phoenix and closed the door with a loud slam. Phoenix felt his blood boiling. He was not often angry, but this was it. This was his limit.

'AAARGH!' He shouted in frustration. Miles watched him, putting his hand on his shoulder for a few seconds. 'You know it, Edgeworth! This is not fair!' Phoenix clenched his fists and let his back fell against the closest wall.

'It is no use saying it is not fair, Wright. I know you feel frustrated and so do I. But he is right about you being a foreign lawyer. You were given time until he had been assigned another lawyer, which is apparently now after one day.'

'He has a right to choose his own lawyer!'

'Yes, Wright, but we are not his option anymore. We have to oblige the rules here.' Miles tried to calm down his friend who was still leaning limp against the wall.

'So… what are we going to do now? I had expected to be given some more time to investigate. Franziska asked me to be his lawyer. She will not be happy when she hears this,' the lawyer told him. The anger in his voice had changed in disappointment.

'Then I think it is best to talk to Franziska first. Perhaps she knows more and has ideas to help us. Come, Wright.'

Phoenix said nothing, but followed Miles outside to the taxi place. He did not even bother to say goodbye to Bianca who worked at the front desk.

* * *

'Franziska, it's us,' Miles said while knocking on the door of the hotel room in the hallway in the hotel where Müller also stayed. Franziska opened the door. She looked quite elegant with her hair up, Phoenix had to admit to himself.

'Miles Edgeworth. Phoenix Wright. Come in.' The two men entered the large room, it even had its own small sitting room.

'Is it just like you told me earlier on the phone? That swine has put Phoenix Wright off the case because he found Philip another lawyer? This quickly?!'

'Yes-,' Miles answered but was interrupted by his friend.

'He has an obvious dislike towards us,' Phoenix told her.

'The police has a lot of evidence against Mr. Müller,' Miles commented and sat down in one of the leather chairs. 'Can you tell me more about the working relationship between Robert Klein and Philip Müller?' he asked his sister. She crossed her legs and sat straight. _What had she to say about it? Did she know about the job offer that Philip Müller also got?_

'They have been working together for some years. Philip is mostly working in Wiesbaden at the Interpol center. He sometimes came to the Netherlands to speak and investigate together with Robert Klein about the RFP-343 case. Philip got the offer for a job at the IJC, but as he apparently took too long to decide, Robert was offered the same position. They both accepted and Philip agreed to let Robert have to job at IJC and to stay at Interpol himself.'

'What did _you_ think about that?' Phoenix asked her, curious to know her answer.

'It does not concern me, nor did it involve me. I just told Philip that he should accept if he really desired the new occupation.'

'Philip had his doubts, but eventually accepted. I'm sure he must have felt disappointed, at least slightly,' Miles said. He knew that he and Phoenix were both cornering her a little. 'Is preference of Klein instead of him not a motive? Did he regret his decision to give Robert Klein the job?' he then commented. Almost immediately he was whipped on the side and in shock Miles flinched back.

'You foolishly foolish fool! Of course not! He declined and did not have second thoughts!'

'I'm not saying _I_ think that! But the Inspector most likely will!' the brother replied, moving away from her while still sitting in the chair. _Curses…! That...hurt._

'You are very defensive of him,' Phoenix stated. He knew that mentioning the chief of the German Interpol definitely hit a nerve and that there was definitely something going on.

She glanced at the lawyer. 'I am definitely not! I, however, am certain that Philip Müller is not a man who can kill out of jealousy, rage or other reason. It is not because I am his colleague that I am helping the defense.' Phoenix was sure he saw her cheeks were slightly blushed.

Miles refrained from asking 'if not a colleague, what then?' as he still felt the pain on his ribs.

'Your foolishly foolish assumptions,' she muttered and massaged her forehead.

'Have you visited him after we went to the police station on the night he was arrested?' Miles asked.

'Yes, once. I brought him some new clothing and was allowed to speak to him for several minutes,' she answered. 'But what _I_ want to know is whether you found the right evidence to get Philip's acquittal. Well, before that foolish swine kicked you two out.' Franziska watched Phoenix glancing at Miles for some seconds. 'Why are you two foolishly staring at each other?!'

'We-' Phoenix started talking but was whipped on his leg.

'Speak up! What is going on here?!' She started threatening the two by holding up her whip in the air.

'Before we were thrown out, police officer Bianca Wilson told us that Philip Müller's German car was flashed for speeding near the crime scene at the time the murder was committed. There is more evidence against him than that there is in his favor,' Phoenix told her quickly, already closing his eyes, preparing for the pain to come.

'What?!' She let out and whipped the ground next to her chair with a lot of force. After hearing the loud sound, Phoenix slowly opened his eyes and stared at the woman in her end-twenties.

'How-? Why-?' The female prosecutor seemed speechless. Franziska then looked in Phoenix's direction again. 'It was not him, he is innocent, Phoenix Wright!' she exclaimed, her serious look revealing she had no doubts at all. The lawyer had no idea what to answer and kept staring at her.

'So, what are we going to do now?' Miles asked, trying to end the staring contest between the two.

'Err, we still have that gathering that is being held at half past ten tonight, right?' the lawyer commented after some moments.

'Are you planning to attend?' Franziska asked, slightly surprised. 'Robert and Philip would originally be going. I helped with the preparation for their undercover mission. Philip must have told you about it.'

'He did. However, as the evidence against him is growing, I have my doubts whether we should go,' Miles answered. Franziska shot him an angry glare.

'Come on, Edgeworth. We promised him that we would be going and ask Ms. Von Karma to help us. It is the only possibility to gain information and evidence. If we find the right evidence and prove that this criminal drugs organization is involved or even behind this, we can get Philip a not guilty verdict,' Phoenix spoke. 'Somehow I do feel uncertainty too. These people could have cold bloodedly killed Robert and we could thus be finding ourselves there between the murderer or murderers.'

Franziska thought a while before speaking up. Both he and Miles stared at the female prosecutor who put her elbow on the armrest and rested her chin on her knuckles.

'It is a high risk,' she said eventually. 'What did Philip say about your plan?'

'He told us that if we were a hundred percent sure about doing this, we should discuss it with you. He said something about you having some experience in preparing undercover missions.'

'Heh, yes, I do indeed,' the female prosecutor answered contently, showing a small smirk on her face.

'We know that you would be helping with tonight's mission. Edgeworth and I can go there, but we have no idea what kind of gathering it is exactly. Philip Müller said something about how they could be discussing new transportation routes.'

'Yes, but, _obviously_ , I did some research on my own,' Franziska said smugly. 'I looked into the information Philip and I gathered about the criminal drugs gang we are investigating and one of my colleagues gave me some more information. He is one of Interpol's hackers and has access to the mailbox of one member who is clearly transporting drugs of this certain criminal organization. We use this gang member to get more information on the whole drugs organization, without him knowing.'

'Alright, what did he find out?' Phoenix put both of his arms on the leather chair's armrests.

'Apparently, tonight is more of an informal gathering.'

'Informal?' Miles asked, raising an eyebrow which meant he wanted more explanation.

'Yes, in the e-mail the man spoke of a business gathering concerning new transportation routes, but he also mentioned some activities which would be held.'

'Like?' Miles immediately replied.

'Like gambling games and, as I quote from the e-mail… 'talking to 'the boss''.' She massaged her forehead again after finishing the sentence.

Phoenix watched the female prosecutor and Interpol agent. _She must be stressing so much it gives her headaches. I feel sorry for her, especially if my assumptions are correct._

Miles raised not one, but two eyebrows silently, but then muttered. 'The boss?'

'Thus be aware of the people you meet. Perhaps this _boss_ knows more,' Franziska told them.

'So, to make this definite... we are going to do this, then?' the lawyer sat up straight, glancing at Miles first and then at his sister.

'...We are, and as you said earlier, Phoenix Wright, it is our only chance to confirm the link between this RPF-343 case and Robert Klein's death.'

'Alright, so we're going undercover,' Miles commented, knowing he had to join whether he wanted to or not.

'Yes, you two are going undercover, which means that you should dress differently. If people have seen you earlier by chance, they shouldn't be able to recognize you.'

'So, no suits, I think,' Phoenix said.

'Indeed. Different hairstyle, more informal...and no cravat.' She eyed her brother. Phoenix snickered. 'This is a special bag of undercover clothing that Philip and Robert were planning to wear. You can take an outfit from there. You both have similar heights.' She pointed at a bag near the door.

'Who do we pretend to be?' Phoenix asked while trying not to laugh at the disgusting face Miles made when he looked at the bag. _I bet he feels uncomfortable wearing someone else's clothes. Heh, that face. I should take a picture of it, frame it and hang it in the entrance hall of the prosecutor's office._ He laughed to himself.

'You two pretend to be transporters of their drugs in Germany. You are currently looking for new transport routes through Germany and thinking of starting a basis in Frankfurt to store the drugs before moving them to other countries. It is the same script the three of us Interpol agents discussed earlier.'

'And what if they are armed?' Miles asked.

'Being armed yourself will only provoke them. You need to be careful what you say, obviously. I will give you a phone that only calls me and the local police. If you need help, just say: 'When will you be home?' Like you are speaking to your family member or so. Furthermore, I will take your personal belongings which contains any of your real names.'

'So, we are taking fake names? How are we called tonight?' Phoenix asked, zipping open the bag of clothes to find something suitable for him. These clothes were not his style, but as it was only for one night, he did not complain.

'Phoenix Wright. You are named Christian Meyers. Miles Edgeworth will be called James Falk tonight.' Miles looked up from the bag to his sister who still sat on her chair with her legs crossed and an amusing expression. 'Well, now that is decided, please get yourselves ready.' Franziska stood up and walked them to the door of her hotel room and made sure Phoenix had taken the bag with clothes with him.

'I will pick you two up at ten, so be ready by then,' she warned and closed her door.

* * *

'Hello gentlemen, anything I can help you with?' The receptionist asked when he put the phone down. Miles and Phoenix were waiting in the hotel's entrance hall in front of the reception desk.

'Yes, there is. We spoke to you earlier about your guest, Robert Klein's death.'

'Yes, it's a tragedy.' The man immediately seemed to get into a depressed mood. 'I never expected anything like that to happen at our hotel.'

'Err...I remember you spoke about a woman that occasionally accompanied him, if I am right?'

'Err.. yes, but that was unprofessional of me. I shouldn't have. Please don't bring it up again.' The man blushed and looked down at the keyboard.

'Well, to be honest, I am the lawyer of the defendant, so I am looking for clues. Your comment stuck with me.'

'Y-you are-? The defendant's lawyer?!' The man's eyes shot up to him immediately.

'Yes, we are trying to found out what happened, so any information can help to find the truth. He is being held at the police station but there are still a lot of questions. For example about that woman.'

'Err…,' the man seemed to be in a dilemma. 'As long as you do not tell my boss, alright?'

'Yes, of course.'

The man gave a nod and suddenly spoke in a soft volume, covering the side of his face with one hand. 'He often stayed here the last few weeks and every now and then he was together with the same woman. They ate at the restaurant and she stayed here until breakfast ended.'

'You think she was his lover… or?' Phoenix asked and the receptionist blushed again.

'I think they were, yes, but I am not a hundred percent sure.'

'What did she look like?' Miles asked, resting his elbows on the counter.

'Uhm, she was always wearing a scarf and a large fancy hat. I couldn't really see her face. But from what I could see and remember… she had brown hair, slim figure. Pretty but average, if you ask me.'

 _A scarf?!_

'Anything else you can tell us about her? A name?' Miles continued.

'No, I don't have a name. I never talked to her, only to him. He always paid, also for her stay, but that's it.'

'Alright. Thank you.'

'Y-you're welcome. I had no idea you were involved in the case.'

'We started our investigation just yesterday,' Phoenix told him.

'Ah, ok.'

'Goodnight. Thanks again.'

'Goodnight, sirs.'

They walked up the stairs and the lawyer eyed his friend.

'Ready to dress up?' Phoenix asked him with a teasing tone. They stood still in their hallway. The lawyer crouched down to get out their outfits from the bag Franziska had given them. 'No cravat, Franziska said.' Miles looked down at him with a very, very irritable face. _I can't wait to see him in something different than that pink suit and the napkin._

'Shut it, Wright!' Miles replied with his deep and annoyed sounding voice. He grabbed his outfit out of Phoenix's hands and slammed his hotel room door shut while he heard his friend laughing on the hallway.

* * *

 **A/N**

Hello Ace Attorney fans!

Thanks for reading! I hope you liked this chapter!

I want to thank **confusedsiewmai** again for betareading! I appreciate it!

So... the story is getting more and more intense... what's going to happen at the informal drugs gathering? What's going on with _that woman_?

See you in chapter eleven, pals! ;)


	11. Chapter 11 - 25 February 2029, Part 4

**Chapter 11 - 25 February 2029, Part 4**

Phoenix and Miles both stepped out of their rooms into the hallway. They inspected each other for a few seconds before Phoenix started snickering at his friend.

'Hehe, that outfit and hairstyle are definitely different from the normal 'Edgeworth-style'. I think the last time I saw you without a cravat was when we were in sixth grade and you only wore bow-ties.'

'Tsk. You have nothing to say with your hair that looks like that of my dog when she just had bath. You look disastrous with your spikes glued onto your skull,' Miles counter attacked and then followed the man downstairs to the lobby.

 _Ouch haha, he is not amused with his outfit,_ Phoenix thought and snorted as a reply and held the door open when they exited the hotel. The upbeat Steel Samurai tune sounded in his pocket and the lawyer reached for his phone. They stood still outside the entrance of the hotel.

'Erm, hello, this is Phoenix Wright.'

'Hello Mr. Wright! I am calling you just to let you know that we have received information on the ballistic markings and the pistol that could have been used. The bullet is a 0.44 Magnum and was likely fired by the semi-automatic pistol DE44CA Mark XIX of the Desert Eagle series.'

'Thanks, Bianca, but I am not involved anymore.'

'I know, but… I thought you'd be interested to know,' she replied. Phoenix knew she did not say it, but he was sure that she still saw him as part of the investigation.

'Ah, yes, well… thanks for calling me. Do make sure that you inform the new female lawyer as well.'

'Yes, I already did,' Bianca answered, 'by the way, I am sure she'll call you soon to ask you for some questions about the defense of Mr. Müller. I gave her your number.'

'Alright, that is no problem. Thanks for the ring.'

'Have a good evening, Mr. Wright.'

'Same to you. Bye Bianca.' Phoenix turned to Miles.

'That was Bianca, she-' the lawyer began, but was interrupted again by the catchy children's show theme.

'You're popular,' Miles commented jokingly before Phoenix picked up again.

'Hello, this is Phoenix Wright.'

'Good evening, Mr. Wright. This is Claire Halvemaan speaking. Ms. Wilson gave me your phone number.'

'Ah, yes. Bianca told me you'd call me,' Phoenix replied. _I did not expect she'd call me this soon._

'I… wanted to tell you personally that I feel bad about today. I had no idea that you were his lawyer. The Inspector told me he needed a lawyer as soon as possible. I was obliged.'

'Oh ok…,' the lawyer answered uncomfortably. Miles intensely stared at the phone in his friend's hand, although he couldn't hear a thing.

'I heard Philip Müller's story, I read some notes of the Inspector and I have seen the evidence. However, as you were his previous lawyer, is there some information you say is very important? I also believe he is innocent,' Claire told him. 'I hope your information can help me to get his acquittal. Can we perhaps meet tonight to discuss it?'

'Ah, well… tonight we have some business…'

'Business?' the voice on the other end of the line asked with some confusion and slight curiosity.

'Yes… well, we definitely cannot meet tonight. But you know, most information that we gathered is known by the police. I will give you our report soon, but Ms. Wilson knows a lot about the case, so you can talk to her. Edgeworth and I have strong suspicions that the killer is involved in a criminal drug organization which also operates here in The Hague. Robert Klein was an undercover Interpol agent investigating that organization.'

'Alright, I understand. Interesting, so you think his killer is part of that organization that he investigated?' she asked.

'Yes, we do. Robert Klein was likely shot from a car. And there is also something with a woman. Did you see the mint-colored scarf with the evidence? Edgeworth and I found it near the crime scene. He had probably bought it for a woman. Likely his girlfriend. The receptionist said Robert Klein sometimes came to the hotel with a woman, but he has no idea who she is. He couldn't see the woman well owing to the fact that she always wore scarf and a large hat. She had brown hair and quite a slim figure. Not really a lot of information, it could be anyone. Sorry about that.'

'Alright. I noted it all down, so I'll see what I can do with your information. If there is anything else, please contact me. Thank you, Mr. Wright. My apologies again.'

'Good luck, Ms. Halvemaan.' Phoenix pushed the end-call button and looked up at the prosecutor who now knew who had called.

'Let me guess…. she is starting her defending case for Müller and needed your information?' Miles said and continued walking.

'Yup. I doubt if she can help him, you and I both know that there is not much evidence in his favor. The most important evidence could be in the place where we are going right now. Our undercover investigation could be the only thing that could help him,' he answered and opened the door of a dark blue vehicle.

'What took you so long?' Franziska asked quite annoyed when the two men sat down in the car she rented. 'I could only see your two silhouettes standing still at the entrance of the hotel.'

 _Talk about being nosy_ , Phoenix thought and buckled his car belt.

'First, Ms. Wilson, and then Ms. Halvemaan called Wright. The new lawyer apologized for the current situation and asked for information,' Miles answered her.

'What did you tell her?! Not about our mission now, I hope?! Otherwise you are a dead man.' She turned around to the backseat, grabbing her dark brown leather whip.

'Of course not-!' the lawyer denied in a loud volume.

'Alright, let's get going, Franziska,' Miles said, speaking over Phoenix's words and tried to end the bickering between the two other passengers.

* * *

'I will be waiting here, don't you dare doing anything foolish, little brother!' Franziska spoke to them as she shut the engine off.

'Yes, yes,' Miles replied as he stepped out and closed the car door. Phoenix was looking at him which annoyed him to the bone. Yes, he was dressed in black trousers, a grey pullover and _no_ cravat. He felt almost naked walking through the streets. Also, he was wearing his glasses and had put his hair to one side.

Phoenix, on the other hand, was dressed in jeans, a green long sleeved shirt and his warm coat. His new coiffure looked incredibly ridiculous and it made Miles feel just a little better about his own appearance. 'Are you ready, James Falk?' Phoenix asked him, glancing at his friend amusingly. He knew Miles felt uncomfortable in his current outfit.

'We look terrible. Our appearances are idiotic. We will stand out,' the prosecutor replied, clearly displeased.

'That is just how you feel because you are not wearing your cravat,' Phoenix joked. 'Be glad that Franziska did not force us to dye our hair.'

'...Let's do this quickly. Watch your words.' _Nghoo. I feel even more bad about this idea every other step I take._ They probably looked average to strangers, but that was not the feeling he had.

'Hehe, got it, Mr. Falk.' They walked further in silence while the sound of their footsteps on the wet pavement could be heard.

Franziska had gotten the address from Philip when she visited him shortly after the new female lawyer had left. She discussed their plans for the infiltration in detail. Philip did not know Phoenix would be replaced that soon, and neither did all of them. It was the Inspector who had put pressure behind it in order to kick Miles and Phoenix out of the case. Philip had explained that the place where they'd be going to was a kind of underground club, with entertainment and business mixed together.

'We should take these stairs to the cellar, I believe,' Miles whispered. There was light coming from downstairs. From the pavement, they walked down to one of the cellar's houses. Carefully and feeling quite anxious, Miles opened the door. He immediately looked in a pair of dark brown eyes.

A big man stood just inside at the door and watched the two men enter.

'It's your first time here?' he asked in Dutch and grinned.

'Uhm, can you speak in English?' Phoenix asked him, putting his sweaty hands in his pockets.

'English?'

'I am James Falk and this is Christian Meyers,' Miles spoke casually. 'We are thinking of using a new route for transporting _the stuff_ through Germany. We came here to talk about that.'

'Alright, come in, but first I need to body search you two. Safety measures for our members, you know. Is it your first time here?'

Obediently, Miles let himself get searched. Both had not brought their passports or any ID. Just a wallet with money and one simple phone Franziska had arranged. It could only call her or the police.

'Yes, we have come all the way here to speak about it.'

'I'll ask if Valerio has time to talk to you guys. In the meantime, have fun. We have a poker and blackjack competition over there. I hope you guys have enough money on you,' the big man with a ponytail laughed heartily and greeted a new shady looking male guest dressed all in black.

'Valerio? Is that the boss?' Phoenix asked Miles almost silently. Miles only shrugged and moved further into the large room.

The place was huge. Both Miles and Phoenix had never expected that such a large place was hidden under a house of this average size. The room was made soundproof with panels against the walls, but the music was not put on a loud volume. The first thing Miles noticed was an old black grand piano located in one of the corners. It was the same type and color as the piano he had played for years in the Von Karma Household. It brought back memories as he stared at it. He suddenly remembered himself sitting there behind the piano in the music room. The music teacher stood a few meters behind him. The strict Mr. Draum prefered Bach and Mozart, but when Miles practiced alone he always grabbed the sheet music books of his favorite musician. Chopin, that is what he liked playing the most. The graceful and delicate melodies always lifted his spirits. Playing the pieces by Bach and Mozart somehow felt heavy, while playing Chopin's music felt more easy going and lighter. Sometimes he and Franziska were ordered to play quatremain. She would try to speed up the pace on purpose and he had no choice but to follow her. Despite playing together with his sister regularly back then, he prefered playing by himself. On Thursday afternoons the manor was often empty and he always found himself going to the music room that day and that time. No one would criticize him for playing a note wrong or not positioning his hands in the right manner.

Miles was brought back to reality when Phoenix nudged him in the side with his elbow and pointed at the bar area. It was quite fancy, Miles had to admit. Leather chairs and sofas were but near the bar which was opposite of a small stage. On one side there stood a few game tables. It somehow reminded him slightly of the Borscht Bowl Club, the place where Phoenix worked as a 'piano player' and poker champion in the seven-year period he had lost his defense attorney's badge. He was positively surprised by that place as well. However, his pleasant first impression was suddenly distorted.

'This is definitely not my cup of tea,' Miles spoke as he saw a lady with almost nothing on her body passed them by. She moved up to the small stage. There were mostly men present, but some women were gathered together at the bar. There were around thirty people, Phoenix estimated. He saw three men laughing loudly while smoking something. White powder was put on the table where they were sitting at.

'Well, card games are _my_ cup of tea.'

'Welcome!' a slightly tanned woman with black long hair and a low-cut top greeted them at one of the game tables with a green-covered top.

'I'd like to play, I am one of the foreign transporters. Can you do this in English, please?' Phoenix sat down one of the higher stools.

'Foreigners? Well, English it is, darling!' she giggled. 'My name is Nancy! I will be the hostess of your game!' She gave the two men a wink. Even though Trucy was not here to help him with his poker game, Phoenix had learned to notice small changes in expression and behavior. It could help him win the game. It had been a while since he last played poker. Even since returning back to the world of law, he had barely played. There were new cases and meetings… _However, once a champion always a champion, right?_ _Well, let's just hope I still have my skills._

'I'd like to play too,' a posh looking woman said and sat down next to Phoenix. Miles stood a little awkwardly next to Phoenix's stool.

'Another foreign buyer? We're having a lovely game!' the women with the cards in her hands said. 'And you, dear?'

'No, thank you. I'll just look instead of losing all my money,' Miles declined. The woman giggled again and shuffled the cards.

'I am Kelly, I do business in Poland, but I am currently helping out here in the Hague,' the forty-year-old-looking woman offered a handshake. Phoenix went along with it. 'I am Christian. James and I are helping with the transport through Germany.' Phoenix pointed at Miles.

 _Could she be_ that woman _? She does have brown hair and a slim figure. Be realistic, Miles. The description the receptionist gave us applies to a large percentage of all women,_ the prosecutor thought.

'I haven't seen others from abroad, most people are afraid to even come,' Kelly spoke and grinned. 'Well, we have enough protection here, so do not worry.'

 _Protection? Guns? Pepperspray? It is all possible here_ , Phoenix thought.

'We haven't been to this place before because we work in Germany. Do you know the people here?' the lawyer in disguise then asked her.

'You are new to our group?' She seemed surprised. She let her bare arm rest on the high poker table.

'Well, we've been transporting the goods for about six months now, isn't that right, James?' Phoenix glanced in Miles's direction.

'Yes, we are currently looking for new transport routes through Germany. We are also thinking of starting a basis in Frankfurt.'

'Well, well, aren't you two busy guys. I love how I can do so much with all the money that just comes to me. I bet you must feel the same,' she spoke. Her red lipstick was slightly smudged. Her wavy light brown hair was braided and her nails were the longest that Miles had ever seen. _I feel so out of place_ , Miles thought. The female host of the game with the low-cut-top was making him even more uncomfortable. The one person of the opposite sex he felt most comfortable with was undoubtedly his adoptive sister. Although it must be said that she had her unexpected mood swings as well that chased him away. No, interaction with women were not his best feature, although he seemed slightly better at it through the years. However, women always seemed to be drawn to him. Conversing with them seemed so difficult and he was never really used to it. His mother had died shortly after his birth and his father never had another wife before he was killed when Miles was only nine years old. In the German Von Karma household where he was adopted there was only Franziska, who acted as tough as a male. The housekeeper was a kind lady and spoke with him regularly, although close interaction with the staff was not approved of by his mentor, Manfred von Karma.

'This event, gathering or whatever you want to call it is held every now and then. We enjoy ourselves, spend money and talk about our business group.'

 _Business group? Criminal group you mean, perhaps?_ Miles sniffed his nose.

'Alright, we've talked enough, haven't we? Mr. Christian, Mr. James?' Kelly opened her purse and got out a few bills of hundred euros. Phoenix swallowed. He was using Miles' money so losing was no option.

'We're playing Blackjack first and after that some poker, alright? The winner of the last poker game takes the money. Are you ready?' The hostess asked them. 'Let's start!'

* * *

 _She is playing with the ring on her right hand. Does she have good cards? Her lip is twitching…_

'Oh my, you are quite an intensive player, it is like your glares are going through me.'

'I-I am definitely not glaring, miss.' _No, Miles would do that,_ Phoenix thought amusingly and shot his friend in the grey pullover a short glance.

'Well, chop chop, it's your turn,' Kelly told him. Miles looked into his friend's cards. Phoenix was doing alright, but he had no guarantee for winning yet. In the max of five turns, the total of the cards needed to be 21 or close to the number, but not over.

'Do you want to have another card?' Nancy asked him.

'Yes, hit me,' Phoenix replied enthusiastically and received from the deck. Not showing any emotion, he revealed the card to himself and Miles. It was an ace. He already had a seven. An ace could be counted as the number one or ten. He just needed one or two new cards to get to twenty-one points.

Miles knew a little bit about the game, but not much. The cards were better off in his friend's hands than his. Kelly also took another new card and Phoenix carefully watched her face for even the slightest change. Blackjack was mostly a game of chance and luck, but knowing whether his opponent was doing well or not, was very useful information. He also looked at Nancy, acting as the bank, to see whether she was close the the amount of points she needed. Her eye seemed to slightly twitch when she saw her card. Phoenix figured she likely had a good hand.

'I bet one hundred euros,' Kelly suddenly announced. She put some money bills on the table. It was Phoenix's turn to take another card.

'Me too,' Nancy replied and followed with another hundred bill. Phoenix eyed Miles, who was standing next to him. Phoenix knew what he was thinking: 'Wright, it is my money. Be careful, for god's sake. I know you are good at card games, but please…' He saw Miles start fidgeting with his fingers.

'I'll wait for now,' the lawyer commented. It was his turn again and received another playing card and was praying for a good card. His hands felt sweaty. He reached for the desk and slowly got the card from the deck. _A nine!_ Still near twenty-one and not over it yet! _If I count the ace as a one, I only need a card with four… unless one of them reaches twenty-one earlier._ With a pokerface and hoping Miles has wearing one too, Phoenix looked at Kelly. It was her turn. She silently took a card and put it with the other ones in her hand. _Kelly has over twenty-one points. I am sure of it, she is far too nervous._ The lawyer's eyes drifted to Nancy. The hostess also took a new playing card. _She is difficult to read, but my guess is that she is still under the number of needed points. Alright my turn. A four, please, be a four…_ 'Christian' thought and reached his hand to the deck in the middle of the table. He held his breath unconsciously but suddenly started grinning mysteriously. He proudly showed his cards.

'I win, ladies. Twenty-one points, here you are.' Nancy was taken by surprise and it took her a moment to say something.

'W-well done, James. You are lucky tonight. I was also nearly there, I just needed two more points.' She revealed her cards.

'I already lost after I took the fourth card,' Kelly admitted. She showed how she had already twenty-three points with four cards.

Miles quietly watched the scene in front of him. _How on earth can he be so lucky? He has luck on almost all his sides of his life. Trials unexpectedly turning into his favor, him surviving falling from a burning bridge resulting in only a cold… I don't get it._ Miles shook his head in unbelief.

'Alright, let's see if you also have luck with the next poker game. Perhaps the tables turn and Kelly is the lucky lady tonight. We're currently at four hundred euros and more money will be added. The winner of this poker game wins all the money in the pot.'

Phoenix nodded. _This is my time to shine once more._ Miles nudged him and gave him a serious look. _I have to win, even stiff Edgeworth is becoming excited about a gambling game, hehe._

The cards and fiches were divided. Phoenix had bet two hundred now, just like the other two. The pot was now eight hundred euros. The game started incredibly well for Phoenix, he had cards with high numbers. He knew that the game continued in his favor when he gradually noticed Kelly looking more at her nails, playing more with her hair and her nostrils seemed to move slightly each time after it was said it was her turn. Eventually, only after fifteen minutes, Phoenix softly let his cards fall on the table, revealing the best cards you could imagine. He smirked smugly. Miles' mouth formed into a small smile. Nancy raised her eyebrows in surprise and began clapping.

'Wow! Congratulations to you, Christian! You are winning eight hundred euros!' the hostess exclaimed. Phoenix's eyes drifted to Kelly who stared in front of her, biting her lip. He had beaten both her and Nancy.

'You played surprisingly well and you are very lucky. Winning two games in a row, I'm surprised.' She was clearly not amused, but wanted to shake hands with the winner anyways. Phoenix carefully shook it, hoping Kelly wouldn't shred him apart with the dangerous nails of her. 'Have a great night,' the woman then said, grabbed her purse and left the table.

Miles followed her with his eyes. _No, I have the feeling she isn't_ that woman _. Then, who could it be? It really could be anyone. It is most likely someone we don't even know._

'Well, there are always winner and losers. And you Mr. Winner, as you are such a fine and lucky man, I give you the opportunity to trade those eight hundred euros for something else, if you'd like.'

'Like what, miss?' Phoenix asked Nancy. He sat up straight immediately, showing his curiosity.

'Oh, something you will like. Give me a second,' she replied with a flirting tone. She vanished for a moment and returned with a few items in her arms. She carefully placed them on the table. 'You like that, don't you, darling?'

'He would definitely trade it for that,' Miles said and pointed at the blush powder container when she put them down on the table, like it was a suggestion. Phoenix knew it wasn't, it was a clear order. Phoenix nodded. 'Of course, who doesn't?' _Here we go._ _Evidence coming at me,_ he thought amusingly.

* * *

Miles sat down on the now empty chair next to Phoenix.

'Hello gentlemen,' a low, slightly husky voice behind them said. They turned around and looked at the front view of two men. One was very tall, almost reaching two meters, Miles estimated. His black hair was kind of messy. The other man was bald, smaller and had a small dark colored beard. His short sleeves revealed that had a large tattoo of a squirming snake on his whole right arm. He crossed his arms and noticed the item in front of Phoenix on the game table.

'You've played well, I see,' he commented.

'Ah, yes,' Phoenix replied, surprised by the visit of the two intimidating men.

'My doorman told me you two wanted to speak to me,' the tall man told the two attorneys. 'My name is Valerio, I handle most things here of our organization in The Hague. This is Oscar.'

'Ah, nice to meet you, Valerio and Oscar,' Miles stuck out his hand and shook those of the other men. Phoenix imitated the action.

'I am James Falk and this is my business partner Christian Meyers,' Miles explained.

'Ah, ok,' the man got out a cigarette of his pocket and a lighter.

'We're here because we want to expand the transportation of your drugs to Germany. We'd like to start a basis in Frankfurt.'

'Alright, and will that help our business?' Oscar asked.

'We'd like to deal more in Germany, and it could work as a short-term storage for further transportation within Europe or beyond.'

'And you came here to ask for money to set that up?' Valerio asked, taking another whiff of his cigarette.

'No, we'll probably manage. We just came to let you guys know of our plan,' Phoenix replied, trying to calm down his nerves.

'If you have established and planned everything, please tell me more. I like the idea. The more drugs we can sell, the better. We'll talk about compensation for the storing later once it is all realized.'

'Yes, alright. I heard you are busy with transport to Russia as well?' Miles asked.

'Yeah, for a year now. It is a goldmine. We sell more than forty percent of our stuff there.'

Miles nodded and pretended to be impressed. 'That's indeed quite a lot.'

'Yeah, so I encourage you to start a basis in Frankfurt or even in Poland. You can earn lots by transporting to Russia.'

'Thanks for the advice. We'll look into it. Where can we reach you?' Miles asked Valerio.

'Here. Come again next time. We prefer face-to-face contact for our own safety and to make sure newbies don't give our contact info to the cops. We sometimes send encrypted mails among our long loyal members. You said that you joined us only recently, so I ask you to come again next time. I hope everything has advanced then and we can talk about money and cargo.'

 _Ugh. That's too bad. They seem careful with 'new members'. Luckily, one of the Interpol members was able to infiltrate in one of their member's mail._ Miles was thinking of something else to say, when his undercover partner spoke up.

'By the way… do you own this place? It's cool, man,' Phoenix told him and both Valerio and Oscar smirked.

'No, someone else. But we think so as well. We use it sometimes. It is great because it is rented by different people every other night. A great cover for us.'

'You should try the drinks at the bar,' Oscar commented randomly, initiating the end of their conversation.

'Yeah, indeed. Enjoy the rest of the evening, see you next time,' Valerio said to them and Oscar nodded, like he agreed with everything the man said.

The two men left again, the taller man giving them a smile, which Phoenix interpreted more as an smirk. He felt a chill down his spine and turned to Nancy.

'Nancy, can you tell me where the restroom is?' Phoenix asked her.

'Of course, darling. The door in the left corner. You have to go up a few steps. You'll see it immediately.' She pointed in the right direction.

'Ah, thanks,' the lawyer replied and started his search while he let Miles continue to have an awkward conversation with her.

'So, erm, are you hired or do you work for the organization?' Miles asked and moved his right hand to show he declined the drink she offered him. _God knows what is in there. If I am not careful, I won't be able to find Franziska's car and end up lying on the floor here._ He followed Phoenix in the corner of his left eye to make sure he knew where the man was going.

'I organize these parties for the organization. They pay good bucks, you know. I buy some of _their stuff_ as well. I am their client and they are mine. We take care of each other.'

'Ah, I see.' He saw how Phoenix closed the door behind him.

'You seem to take good care of your partner as well.'

'E-excuse me?!' Miles replied with wide eyes and looked up to her.

'Your lover, Christian. Oh, aren't you two a couple? You followed him with your eyes to the door in the corner.' _Ugh... she is observant! Well, she is a game hostess. Nothing passes her by. But… partners?! As in…? Me and Wright?!_

'W-we are _not_. He is my _business_ partner,' Miles replied and he punched himself mentally for the flushes on his face and the sweat droplets on his back. She giggled.

'Alright, then, would you play a game with me while your _friend_ is away, James?' she proposed, walking around the table and sitting on Phoenix's seat. He followed her every move and saw how she shuffled a new deck of cards.

'Erm, I am not that good at card games.' Miles nervously moved a hand through his hair. He had already had had enough female attention he could take for tonight. He was not like Wright, who casually just talked to anyone.

'Then I'll teach you, darling,' Nancy replied, winked and gave him his cards.

* * *

 _Alright… up the stairs she said._ Phoenix carefully looked down at each step he took and after the eighth step, he arrived at what seemed the hall of the main house. Directly right there was a door with the word 'toilet' spelled on it. _Well, it can't be any clearer._

After doing his business, Phoenix modeled his hair again in the mirror and unlocked the door.

'Ah, hey,' it sounded somewhere at the end of the hallway. _What?_ Phoenix kept the door open a crack. _It sounds like that Valerio man. Is he talking on the phone?_ Unfortunately for 'Christian', he could not follow the conversation. It was in Dutch and the sound came from further away in the house. Phoenix felt his heart in in throat when he carefully opened the door and exited. It was quiet. _Should I take a look? Should I go back? Edgeworth is waiting for me. He will without doubt worry if I take too much time. He is also alone. Well, not really, I hope he is at least talking to Nancy and not awkwardly giving her glares..._ The lawyer in disguise stopped walking. _But what if I find something?_

Opposite of the toilet was a large staircase and beyond there the hall lead to several rooms. Against one of the walls, a wooden dresser was placed.

'Valerio, where are you, man?' a voice asked somewhere upstairs. With a heart rate over two-hundred, Phoenix rushed back, hid himself in the restroom and closed the door. That was Oscar, wasn't it?

'Are you shittin', mate?' Phoenix heard the sound of shoes coming down the stairs. 'Man, answer, for god's sake!' Phoenix felt himself become dizzy from nervousness as he could not understand the Dutch words but he figured that Oscar was shouting at him behind the door.

'Why are you yelling?! Are you stupid?!' Another voice replied eventually.

'Ah, there you are!'

'Come with me, I am in the middle of a phone call,' an annoyed Valerio told him and the lawyer heard the sound of the two men talking fading away. Phoenix waited a few minutes before opening the door slightly. It was quiet again and he stepped out the little room. _I'd better get back, I have been here long enough._ Before stepping down the small stairs, he glanced back in the hall one more time. His eyes grew big. _T-that's a…!_ Phoenix swallowed and took slow steps to the wooden dresser. _This wasn't there when I first came out of the restroom._ He stood still in front of the piece of furniture for some seconds. _Was this the real deal? Was this it?_ Carefully, he investigated the small item placed next to it. It was an unused cartridge. _The size! I-it's a 0.44!_ In shock, he took one step backwards. He had to decide what to do before the men were coming back. _One of them must have put it here some minutes ago while I hid myself._ Feeling uneasy, he reached for the two items but then took back his hand. _What was it? What model did Bianca say again?_ Nervously, the lawyer turned the black pistol around. _It was something with Mark XIX, right?_ His sweaty right hand held the handle and he quickly scanned the object for any kind of identification. There it was and Phoenix noticed he had trouble breathing and his hands started trembling. _What should I do?!_ _Ugh, why don't I have a camera function on my phone. Edgeworth is right for once. I need to buy a new model._

There was only one solution, he concluded. It was the most dangerous one, he knew that. Phoenix looked in the direction of the end of the hallway once more. Then, he grabbed both objects and tried to find a suitable place for them in his clothes. _I need to hurry, before they notice it's gone. I need to get Miles, tell him to hurry. Yes, that is what I'll do._ While heading downstairs the only thing he could think of what running away. Getting away. As fast as possible.

In the corner, he saw Miles and Nancy sitting together closely, discussing and holding some playing cards. _I need to come over casually. She'll notice if something is off. She played well with the games and is very observant._ He put a hand on Miles' shoulder and bowed forwards.

'We should go now, immediately,' Phoenix whispered in Miles' ear. Surprised at the sudden action, Miles turned his head with the speed of light and looked in the blue eyes of his _business_ partner. His cards fell out of his hands and ended up on the table and the ground. Nancy giggled.

'I told him which card he had to pick,' the lawyer told the lady and winked at her. Nancy laughed and eyed Miles.

'You're so cute and handsome, so I'll forgive your terrible game skills,' she commented and she got hold of Miles' hand. The prosecutor's head again turned in high speed and watched in shock how his hand was being claimed by the woman. His eyes grew wide while his cheeks into a darker shade of red.

'Oh my, am I interrupting something?' Phoenix asked amusingly, but still with his heart in his throat.

' _No_ , you are _not_.' Miles glared at him, trying to gently pull his hand back.

'We have talked to Valerio about our idea, but we have some other business, so we have to leave, Nancy,' Phoenix eventually announced. _Alright, hurry up, we need to get out of here._

'Nawww,' the woman pouted and stroked Miles' hand while she firmly hold onto it.

'You'll come next time too, right?' she asked him, giving him cute puppy eyes.

'Errr...' _Only my lovely dog can pull off cute puppy eyes, miss._

'When is it?' Phoenix asked, putting on his coat.

'In nine weeks. I will be organizing it again!'

'We'll see it if fits on our agenda but we'll try, alright?' Phoenix answered. Nancy nodded and let go of Miles, who immediately stood up and created some distance between him and the woman.

'W-we had a lovely night, thank you,' he lied.

'Hihi, same, it'd be lovely to see you again next time. Good night.'

Miles felt her eyes in his back when they walked to the exit. They kindly greeted the big man with the ponytail and entered the fresh and cold weather outside. They closed their coats and walked a few streets further to eventually find car suddenly putting on their lights.

'How could you leave me alone with that woman?!' Miles said to him, obviously slightly pissed.

'Hey, I had my business to take care of,' Phoenix defended. 'And I found something interesting, so don't criticize me. I think you two had a lovely moment without me.'

It was the second thing he said that piqued Miles' interest and changed his mood immediately. The last comment he forgave immediately.

'You found something?!' Miles stood still in surprise.

'I'll tell you once we're in the car. I believe that's her,' the lawyer commented and they hurried to the other side of the street.

They plopped down on the backseat of the car that Franziska had arranged. The heater was clearly on and the two could warm up a bit.

'How was it?' Franziska asked.

'Miles had a good night with one certain lady,' Phoenix joked. Franziska turned her head to face the backseat.

'Miles Edgeworth!' she yelled at him, ready any second to grab her whip from the passenger's seat.

'That is rubbish! You know it, Wright!' Miles defended himself.

'Fine, fine, I was only joking.'

'Well, inform me on what you've seen _besides women_.' She shot Miles a glance to which he rolled his eyes. She knew how he was and did it only to embarrass him.

'There was a man named Valerio, he seemed like one of the bosses of the organization. Another man we spoke to is called Oscar. There were two other ladies we talked to, but they were not masterminds of all of this. There were around thirty people, I estimate. Most of them were men, though,' Phoenix said.

'Wright won with blackjack and poker, he traded his prize money for this.' Miles handed Franziska a round cosmetics blush powder container.

'I'm still the poker champion,' Phoenix said proudly. Her face lit up immediately seeing the blush powder container in her hand.

'Well, well, what do we have here?' She opened it to found what she was expecting. Drugs. Cocaine, to be precise.

'I didn't hear anyone talking about the murder. The ambiance was rather calm,' Miles commented and rested against the backseat.

'Well, and when you were talking to Nancy… I saw Valerio and Oscar discussing. Before coming back to you, I found something on my way back from the restroom,' Phoenix said and reached for his left pocket in his trousers. 'That is why I told you we had to leave, Edgeworth. If they'd notice these were gone, we'd be in serious trouble.' Phoenix opened his hand.

'A cartridge?'

'A 0.44, as you can see printed on the side.'

'...?!'

'And this.' It took a little effort to take the second item out of the hidden place in his coat. Miles' eyes grew wide.

'What in the-?! You took their gun?! Are you insane?!'

'One of them put it down a dresser.' Franziska sighed loudly, but remained silent. Miles swallowed, tried to find the right words and spoke up.

'Wright. We aren't sure whether this is the pistol Robert Klein was killed with. This could be one of the very many they have. And taking it… you took a terrible risk-'

'Hold it! Bianca called me tonight, remember?'

'What has she got to do with all of this?' Miles asked him immediately, obviously irritated.

'She told me the model of the pistol that fired the bullet that killed Robert Klein. She told me it was something wil Mark XIX. See this..,' Phoenix turned the gun. 'There could be fingerprints on there. I know it is a risk, that's why I told you to hurry and come with me.'

'They'll know it's gone, Wright!' Miles gave him a serious look.

'Give it to me,' Franziska ordered the lawyer and she took it from him with her leather hand gloves.

'This is indeed a Mark XIX. It's a model by the Desert Eagle Series.'

'It is perhaps evidence, but what if it's not? We have their gun!' Miles let out.

'It's too late to return it now,' Franziska replied and put the items in a plastic shopping bag. 'Alright. Enough talk. Let's get back before they notice their gun is missing,' she said and drove away.

* * *

The female prosecutor stopped the car near the parking lot of the two men's hotel. She gave them back their belongings like passports that she had kept safe.

'I will be here at eight thirty sharp tomorrow morning so do not be a fool and be late. Then we will discuss this matter further.'

'Goodnight, Franziska.'

The two men saw how she drove away until she turned around the corner. It was quiet as the time was already past one in the night. A few cars and a little van were parked in the corner of the parking lot when the strolled by.

'Let's get inside. We'll continue everything tomorrow. I cannot wait to get out of this preposterous outfit.'

 _Are you saying your napkin is fashionable?_ the lawyer thought amusingly. He had survived the nervousness of all evening they had been going undercover. It was dangerous but he came out alive.

'Yes, let's do that,' Phoenix answered, not being able to see a lot as there was only one working light pole that stood far away near the entrance.

'We'll sort this all ou-' Miles wanted to say but felt arms around his torso and a hand pushed onto his mouth. Immediately and out of reflex, he tried to get the hand away and turn around. He was being pushed behind the van and then fell forward on the asphalt. He tried to get up, but immediately felt a short pain in his neck. _No… no needles, no pricks, please!_ Miles immediately felt himself getting an acute panic attack. In fear, he tried to hit the other figure with his legs and fists. Miles tried to turn his head and vaguely he saw Phoenix beside him. He was also held by a black figure and taken towards the van. The prosecutor felt how his breathing became more and more abnormal. The pain his his neck became less. However, he knew something was injected to him, but not what. _Are we going to die? Right here, right now?_

The prosecutor continued to push away the hand in front of his face. His nose and mouth kept being covered. _Air… I need air… I'll pass out… like in the elevator..._ The panic attack caused him to move his limbs more aggressively . His muscles felt weak, despite using all the power he had to get those hands and arms off him. He and Phoenix both weren't weak men, but the figure that was holding him right now was so incredibly strong. The person held him by his torso and his face while Miles tried to push the figure off him. The struggle seemed to last for at least five minutes before Miles saw a lifeless Phoenix being dragged away in the corner of his eye. Water droplets filled his eyes. _I can't breath… I feel tired… my head is feeling light…. what is this substance?_ He tried to yell and scream, but to avail. His body now completely had given up. He closed his teary eyes before losing consciousness. He knew it was done. _I'll come to see you now, father. It's time._

* * *

 **A/N**

Thank you for reading!

A big thanks to **confusedsiewmai** , who betaread this chapter! It is really appreciated!

It has been a while since I last updated because I've been very busy with uni and my health :)

The next chapter is already finished though, you can expect it soon!


	12. Chapter 12 - 26 February 2029, Part 1

**Chapter 12 - 26 February 2029, Part 1**

The sun was slowly appearing and its light started to shine through the front window. Franziska sat in her rented car in front of the four-star hotel, waiting for the two American attorneys to get in.

'Already one minute late, Miles Edgeworth. Imperfection. Foolish fool,' she hissed under her breath as she looked at the electric clock in the dashboard that showed eight thirty-one. She was annoyed to the bone. This whole case was tiring her and taking up all of her energy. She had actually been feeling quite good these last few months. _I never imagined I would put my whip away._ However, this situation made her get it back out of her bag, and whip almost everyone with all her might.

A quarter of an hour had passed and Franziska decided she had waited long enough. It was not like Miles. He was rather five minutes early than a quarter too late. She first dialed Miles mobile number and tapped with her nails on the wheel. It did not even connect and went straight to his voicemail.

'Foolish little brother!' Franziska looked up Phoenix's number and waited for the phone to connect. 'This is the voicemail of Phoenix Wright. Please leave me message and I will call you back as soo-' She pushes the disconnection button. _What are those fools up to? Did they already leave to visit Philip alone?! Well, I have the evidence of yesterday, foolish fools._

She had enough of waiting and got out of the car. The entrance of the hotel building was surrounded with some flower pots, although most plants had clearly not survived the cold temperature.

There was one old lady before her in line when she arrived at the front desk. Franziska had to wait, and impatiently tapped her heel on the marble floor. After a few minutes it was finally her turn.

'Good morning, how can I help?' He asked her in Dutch. Without notifying him, she spoke back in English.

'I am looking for Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright. They would meet me at half past eight but did not show up.'

'Mr. Edgeworth and Mr. Wright, you say? Ah! The men usually dressed in red and blue, right?' He remembered.

'Yes, those fools. They must have returned the previous night at around one in the morning.'

'Well, I was working the whole day to two in the morning, but I did not see them passing through here at that time or this morning. I'll ask my colleague if he saw something.'

 _They did not enter the hotel? What nonsense is this?!_

'Yes, ask your colleague.' She waited as her stomach made weird turns. _What is going on? What is this foolish situation?_

The man came back some minutes later. 'No, we both did not see them. I am very sure as I welcome all the guests who enter, and I will definitely remember them.'

'What rooms are they in?'

'Rooms nineteen and twenty. You can try to knock on their doors. It could be possible they entered last night during a bathroom break.'

'Can you give me their spare key?'

'Sorry, but that is not allowed, miss.' Franziska bit her lip and decided to for once not to create a hot discussion, as that would only take more time.

'I'll try knocking then,' she replied, not thanking the man but hurried to the elevator.

A couple waited for the elevator when she stepped out. The second floor was quite empty. A cleaning lady passed by with her cart. She walked further. The rooms were not difficult to find and she tried room number nineteen, Miles' room, first.

'Miles Edgeworth! Open the door this instant! I have been waiting for over half an hour now!' the female prosecutor yelled and knocked at the door simultaneously. She stopped to hear if inside footsteps were coming closer to the door. But there were no footsteps. There was no sound at all. No door was opened.

'Miles Edgeworth! You fool!' she tried again. No reply.

 _This is abnormal, there is something going on. Why aren't they here?!_

If Miles wasn't there, then Phoenix wouldn't be there either. Nonetheless, she tried the lawyer's door. To no avail.

Now very anxious, she went downstairs again to the entrance of the hotel. She got out her phone again and typed in a number.

'The Hague Police speaking, this is Bianca Wilson.'

'Ms. Wilson, this is Ms. Von Karma speaking. Do Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright happen to be at the police station questioning Philip Müller?'

'Err, no, they are not here, Ms. Von Karma. Mr. Müller is in his cell right now. He had no visitors since that new female lawyer yesterday. Besides, visiting hours are from eleven to three today and it is currently nine o'clock.' _Right, that is true._

'Alright, I will come by today.'

'Yes, I'll see, you then, Ms. Von Karma.' The connection was cut off. There was something wrong, Franziska could feel it. Her gut told her so and she knew she could trust it. Well, there were a few things she could do now. She ferreted in her purse and got out her Interpol ID card.

'Hello again,' the same male receptionist greeted her.

'They are nowhere. I am requesting to get the key cards to their room and to see any CCTV you have of last night.'

'... But Miss-'

'I am Interpol agent Franziska von Karma. We are investigating a case involving a hardened criminal group which transports drugs here in The Hague and abroad. Those two men are part of our investigation and have disappeared.' She showed her badge and gave him a telephone number.

'If you want confirmation, call this number of central Interpol.' The man's eyes grew wide and he inspected the badge.

'Err-'

'Call the number, or do you believe me?' she watched him with her arms crossed, giving off an intimidating aura.

'Y-yes, I-I believe you,' he answered and opened one of the drawers to get the right spare key cards. 'They told me earlier that one of them was a lawyer of the defendant to get information.'

'What information did they ask about?'

'...Err… they asked whether that woman that came with him to this hotel sometimes was his girlfriend.'

'Ah. See if you have her on your CCTV footage as well.'

'O-ok. H-Here you are,' he told her, handing Franziska the two cards.

'You start looking at the CCTV to the right time and make a copy while I am quickly taking a glance in their rooms.' Before the poor man could reply, she had already vanished.

She opened the door of Miles' room and saw his bed neatly made. His glasses, wallet and other personal items were gone, so he was not here. She had given them back last night. The woman walked over to his wardrobe but his spare clothing was hung unto the hangers and his shoes right under it. _He hasn't left the country. But where is he?!_

Franziska encountered the same things in Phoenix's room. Clothes and his suitcase present but no trace of personal belongings or the man himself. There was one place to go now.

* * *

With two files on her USB and the evidence gathered yesterday safely secured in her bag, Franziska exited the hotel and drove to the police station. It took her a while to get a parking space, but by giving another driver a threatening glare, he had given her the parking spot. It seemed that after checking the one video file of last night, her brother and the lawyer were not recorded entering the hotel the _whole_ night. Franziska shut off the engine and sat still a moment before getting out of the car.

 _Let's go back to last night. What happened? We drove away from that gathering at around a quarter to one. It is a twenty-minute drive to their hotel. I gave them back their personal belongings and they gave me the evidence they gathered. So, they must have exited the car likely around five past one am. It is perhaps a one or two minute walk to the entrance. I drove away immediately, as I wanted to have enough sleep for today._ The female prosecutor massaged her temples. Could something have happened between the time they left my car, I drove away and they would enter the hotel? _Wait. Those fools. Last night. Perhaps they found out the gun was gone. Oh god._

'Hello Ms. von Karma. Have you found them yet?' Bianca asked and stood up from her seat when she saw the woman entering. Franziska turned around immediately.

'No, I have not. I want to speak to your boss, where is he?' The expression on her face suddenly became very anxious.

'He is in his office, but I believe he is having a phoneca-' Without letting her finish her sentence she opened the door where the man's name was written on.

'Hey!' Inspector Michiel de Koning almost jumped out of desk chair owing to the sudden entrance of the fierce lady.

'My brother and that lawyer are gone and in danger while you are here are your desk making up some procedure to convict Philip Müller?!' Her whip slashes on the wooden desk. He backed away in his chair.

'What the hell do you think you are doing?!' he yelled at her, standing up and coming closer. He put down his phone on the desk.

'Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright have been kidnapped this early morning! That criminal drugs organization that both Philip and I informed you about are behind this! In the worst case, they could be dead already!' Her face was slightly red and she came closer to the heavy man.

'And _how_ are you so sure they are kidnapped or murdered and why specifically by that certain group?' he asked her arrogantly, hands on his sides and showing an angry face. Franziska opened her purse, got out the blush powder container and held it up in the air.

'And what is that?' he asked her, raising his eyebrow.

'Cocaine,' Franziska answered and opened it. 'Yesterday, Robert Klein and Philip Müller would be going undercover at a meeting of the criminal organization we are investigating as Interpol. They are known for smuggling drugs wrapped as cosmetics. Instead of Robert Klein and Philip Müller, Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright went there to investigate the relationship between Robert Klein's murder and the organization he was involved with for Interpol.'

'What?! Those morons did what-!' the Inspector began but was immediately interrupted again by Franziska.

'Their kidnapping and Klein's murder are connected. It is the same criminal drugs gang. But instead of believing us and putting all your men on this case you are loafing behind your desk!'

'Listen, missy. Philip Müller is now officially charged with Klein's murder. His new lawyer has officially handed us his signed written confession at eight o'clock this morning, Philip Müller asked her to do that for him. He is guilty as charged,' he hissed at her, satisfied with himself. 'As we have his confession, his trial will be tomorrow.'

'What?!' Franziska's whip almost slipped out of her hand and her expression turned into a shocked one. 'T-that foolishly foolish-'

'It's the hard truth, missy.' De Koning smirked and crossed his arms.

'Don't you 'missy' me! I demand to speak to him, right now!' she yelled, clenching her fists.

'Not if you continue to talk to me in that unbearably supercilious tone, _missy_. Heh, you had so much faith in him, didn't you?' the Inspector crossed his arms and rested on the desk.

'Quit the foolish nonsense this instant and bring me to him!'

Inspector De Koning smirked. 'Visiting hours start at eleven am, come then. I won't give you permission to see him earlier than that time.' He pointed at the door.

'You…! My brother and that lawyer are in danger, you have no idea how serious this is! You must focus on finding them and you will find your killer!' Franziska shouted at him, swinging around her whip dangerously. He gestured her to leave with one hand and sat down back on his desk chair.

'Get out and don't come back again. I do not tolerate such ridiculous and disrespectful behavior from you.'

'Grrr! You foolishly foolish fool!' Franziska shouted at him, whipped the piece of furniture that was closest to her and stamped out his office. _Confess?! He is innocent! Why on earth would he-!_

'Ms. Von Karma?' Franziska turned around. 'What is going on? I heard you two shouting at each other.' Bianca asked and came running after her. 'Something is not right, is there?' Bianca seemed worried and her eyes looked anxiously at Franziska. The female prosecutor took a deep breath before answering.

'I have no idea what is going on, to be honest. But it is becoming a big mess.'

'I will help you to find Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth, Ms. Von Karma. I heard you said they have disappeared,' Bianca softly said to her. 'And I will also help you to find the truth behind the case and Mr. Klein's death.'

'The truth...' Franziska muttered, glanced at her and then nodded.

'You as a prosecutor must always be looking for the truth, isn't that right?' Bianca asked while guiding Franziska to the small room near the entrance.

'... The truth… yes.' Currently, even the word 'truth' reminded her of her brother. As much as she wanted to deny it, Miles helped her to continue her career as a prosecutor and to start as an Interpol agent. It took her a long time, but it was her 'little brother' who made her aware that a guilty verdict was not always the best result of any trial. _He is gone, kidnapped or…. I am the one who needs to find him._ 'I'd appreciate any help, Ms. Wilson,' she answered.

* * *

Both women sat down on the red rotating chairs in the small meeting room of the police station.

'Before we start working together on this, I want you to know that I did not know that the Inspector already found a new lawyer for Philip Müller. I am sure you have heard from Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth yourself. The Inspector looked for one behind my back as fast as possible. He did not seem to like Mr. Wright. I tell you this because I don't want you to think I was involved in that or did not inform you on purpose. I apologize for it happening so suddenly, but I heard she is a very capable lawyer, otherwise he would not have chosen her. She has experience and-'

'I already suspected that he was the one behind it. There is no apology needed, Ms. Wilson,' Franziska interrupted and crossed her legs.

'Ah, alright. Thank you.' The police officer watched the prosecutor fold her arms. 'Erm… so, what is our plan for now, Ms. Von Karma? What can I do for you?' Bianca asked while putting Robert Klein's casefile and autopsy report on the table.

'Actually… yes, there is something you can help me with,' Franziska replied after a short moment of thinking and reached for her handbag. Bianca followed her hands to the large black and white bag. 'This.'

'W-what..?!' Bianca stuttered and confusedly pointed at it after a moment of this.

'H-how did you get hold of this?! It's the real thing, right?!'

Franziska put down the unused bullet next to the gun on the table. 'I'm not sure yet if this is the murder weapon, Ms. Wilson.'

'But how-?!'

'Yesterday Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright went on an undercover mission and infiltrated on a gathering organised by the drug cartel which is linked to Robert Klein's murder. I stood standby outside with a car and brought and picked them up. Phoenix Wright found these items and brought them with him to us. I suspect they both disappeared after I set them off at their hotel and I drove away.'

'They- they went undercover?!'

'Yes.'

'But then they must have noticed the gun was gone and went after them?'

'That is a logical conclusion. They must have raised suspicion somehow or were tipped by someone they would be there. They did not follow me, though. These kidnappers seem to only want Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright.'

'So, now knowing this, you want me to check something concerning this… pistol and bullet?'

'Yes, indeed. Fire the unused bullet using this gun and compare them with the bullet from Robert Klein's body. That is the only way we know whether this is the murder weapon or not. Also, let them check for fingerprints. I am sure Phoenix Wright's are on there, but perhaps you can find other prints.'

'I will bring it to our ballistic expert immediately and return to help you with the investigation.'

'Splendid.'

'I'll try to keep the Inspector away from this room as well, I reckon he does not like me helping you and letting you sit here and investigate the other evidence.'

'I told him the seriousness of this case, especially now with their disappearance. I do not care what he thinks.'

'Ah, alright. I will be back, Ms. Von Karma. It's very closeby.' Franziska just nodded and eyed all the bags of evidence on the table. The pile of reports on the case lay next to her and she decided it was best to calm down and start with the evidence first.

* * *

'I'm back,' Bianca told her when she opened the door to the room after twenty minutes. 'I said that this analysis has top priority and they will investigate immediately.' Franziska looked up and showed Bianca a written memo.

'Good. Tell me, why does it say here that the victim's laptop has not been looked into yet? Obviously, there could be information on there!' she told her with a sharp voice. Bianca sat down opposite and played with her hair.

'Ah, yes, about that...'

'What is it?!' Franziska demanded an answer.

'It has to be checked by an Interpol agent for any sensitive information before we can look onto it… I can't ask the defendant, though...'

'What is this noise, Bianca?! Didn't I tell you to sit at the front desk earlier!' the Inspector angrily stepped in the room and wiggled towards her with his short legs. It was only when he stood next to her when he noticed the other person in the room.

'And why are you here?! Didn't I tell you to leave immediately?!' He pointed at Franziska, whose face clearly showed she was not impressed.

'Sir, it is my fault! I asked-'

'I am here to investigate this laptop, Inspector. You need someone from Interpol, and it happens to be that I am that someone you need.'

'You?!'

'Ah! How could I forget?! You are also an Interpol agent!' Bianca held a hand for her mouth.

'I won't allow it. Not her,' the Inspector scoffed and pointed at the door.

'It will take at least a day or two to get someone from Interpol here, sir! She is here now! There could be something on that laptop that can tell us where the drug cartel took Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth!'

'Has she been brainwashing you?! You believe they are kidnapped or murdered too?!' he asked his junior police officer and slammed his hand on the table.

'We have no evidence that these cases are linked. There are suspicions, yes, but there is no proof, Bianca. All of the evidence we have points at Müller! He even confessed! Case closed!' he yelled at her.

'We can have the evidence soon!' she replied, small tears forming in her eyes.

'For the last time, no, Bianca! If you continue acting like this you don't have to come back tomorrow!'

'Michiel de Koning.' The use of this whole name and the missing 'Inspector' immediately made him turn his head. Franziska stood up, walked over and stopped in front of the man. Owing to her high heels, she seemed to be the same height as the man.

'If you start threatening your police officer, I will threaten you the same way. I will report your actions, thus the lack of taking responsibility, the obstruction of an investigation and the threatening of your juniors. Then _you_ don't have to come back tomorrow. I am sure that there are many other officers who would be better at being an Inspector than you.' Without waiting for a reply, she sat down in her chair again and looked up at the man again.

'I'll take a look at the laptop right now. Bianca, help me with going through the evidence.'

'Yes, ma'am!' she replied and saluted.

'Who in the world do you think you are?!' Michiel let his hands rest on the table and bowed forwards to Franziska.

'Me? I am currently the only one allowed to search his laptop that can very likely carry crucial information. So, get out of my face, let me do my job and continue this investigation.'

'I'll let your boss know of this, missy.'

'Please do, I am sure Philip Müller will agree with my actions.'

'Grrr!' he let out a shout of displeasure as he realized the current defendant and his main suspect was her boss.

'Please leave so I can do my work properly. You are informed when something linked to the case and murder is found,' Franziska spoke firmly and opened the laptop, not looking at the man with the red face of anger.

In great dismay did the Inspector leave the room. He slammed the door shut and both women heard him shouting some curse words. It took a while for Bianca to say something.

'W-wow, thank you, Ms. Von Karma. I began thinking this would indeed be my last day here.' The female police officer wiped a few sweat droplets from her forehead. Franziska looked up at her and gave her a small smile.

'It won't. Now then, please help me with the evidence and reading witness' reports.'

'Yes, ma'am!'

* * *

 **A/N**

Thank you for reading!

A big thanks to **confusedsiewmai** , who betaread this chapter! It is really appreciated!

Leave a comment if you liked it :)


	13. Chapter 13 - 26 February 2029, Part 2

**4 Days**

 **Chapter 13 - 26 February 2029, Part 2**

'Wright, wake up!' Phoenix felt something kicking against his right leg. He had no energy to move and everything suddenly felt cold. His feet, hands and neck.

'Phoenix! Are you awake?! Answer me!'

 _Edgeworth? He's with me? I'm not lying in some hospital bed again, right? I didn't fall off a bridge, did I? No, I didn't see any large unsteady bridges while sightseeing. Wait, what did I do? I was with Edgeworth, right? We were at the criminal hideout…_ Different thoughts entered his mind. He felt like he could move his arms a bit and after a while, he was able to slowly open his eyes as well. He vaguely saw Miles sitting next to him on the ground. _This is definitely not a hospital._

'Ouch, my arms are killing me,' Phoenix moaned when he turned his head. He now noticed the migraine as well. 'Edgeworth? It is you, right?'

'Thank god,' Miles let out a big sigh of relief and let himself lean to the wall behind him. 'I'm glad you woke up. I was afraid you wouldn't,' Miles told him honestly. Phoenix could see fear in his grey eyes. His sight was becoming clear now. Miles' hair was a mess and his glasses were lying on the ground. It took a while before Phoenix became aware of the fact that they were tied. Their hands were tied together behind their backs by thick tie wraps, which went around cold steel radiator pipes that came down from the ceiling and exited through the floor. It made their arms feel numb. Their legs were tied together with the same black tie wraps that were used with their hands. They could hardly move their bodies.

'Oh god, no,' he groaned in distress and felt fear growing in his body. 'How long were you awake before I woke up?' Phoenix asked him.

'I believe some minutes. Just like you, I needed some time to be able to move. Then I saw you lying on the ground.'

'I remember entering that club with you… winning drugs and getting the gun… going to Franziska's car… arriving at our hotel park lot… and then it is all blank.'

'Yes, that is correct,' Miles spoke as he watched Phoenix who was still laying on the ground. 'I'm glad we don't have amnesia.'

Phoenix saw how Miles' silver hair stuck to his forehead because of the cold sweat and spoke up. 'So, where are we? What time is it? Who took us here?' With movements of those of a snake, he managed to sit back at the same wall Miles was sitting against. He was now able to look around, although he had no idea how big the room was owing to the darkness. There was a very little square window above them and just a small ray of light shone through. The smell in the room was a little strange and unpleasant. It was musty and damp, like some kind of basement.

'Those are three valid questions and I'd like to know the answers to them as well,' Miles replied. He had calmed down a bit after Phoenix woke up without any serious harm.

'They injected us with something that made us pass out,' Miles commented. 'I felt a syringe in my neck.'

'Same, I wonder what it was and whether it is harmful.'

'Well, we didn't die, so it must be some anesthetic substance,' the prosecutor replied.

'Yes, probably. So, who took us and cuffed us?' Phoenix looked to his right at his friend.

'The highest possibility is that criminal group, of course.'

'But why us? Did they notice we were not part of their group when we were at that club? They must have figured out we weren't there for a transport route.'

'Hm, yes, it seems that way,' Miles replied and tried to remove the tie wraps by moving his hands. The change in expression of his face showed the sudden pain when the black plastic was pushed deeper into his skin. 'Ugh.'

'Wait, weren't you kidnapped before? In that scary Blue Badger amusement park? You told a story about that a very long time ago,' Phoenix remembered.

'Ah… don't remind me,' Miles sighed. 'Well, yes, and it was definitely not amusing. They hit me unconscious on the head. That park was one hell. I believe it already went bankrupt the year after the case I had there and it does not surprise me.'

'How did you escape back then?' The lawyer now also rested his head against the cold brick wall.

'Kay helped me to get out of the room.'

'Ah, the Yataragasu girl, right?' the lawyer asked.

'Yes.'

Phoenix sighed. _Well, that will not work, she isn't here now. We need to find another way._

There was a short silence between them.

'My arms and shoulders are so sore,' he complained. Miles only nodded with a blank expression on his face.

'Can you check if my phone is still in the pocket of my coat?' Miles then suddenly asked and tried to point at his left side.

'Hm,' Phoenix only answered and with his hands still bounded, he tried to get hold of the fabric of Miles' coat. 'I can't reach it,' he let out in frustration, sticking out his hands and fingers as far as possible. 'If I hadn't been attached to that pipe, I could have been able to.'

'Yes...,' the prosecutor replied with clear disappointment in his voice.

'Alright, so what time is it?' Phoenix mumbled and sat back, eyeing the prosecutor.

'I have no idea, but I do think it is morning or midday already because of the little bit of light that shines through the small window above us.'

'You have a watch, silly,' Phoenix commented.

'Ah... my apologies, can you see it?' A slightly embarrassed Miles lifted his cuffed wrists. Luckily, his watch was on his left side where Phoenix was sitting.

'Your pointers are with glow-in-the dark effect.'

'Yes, so?' the prosecutor asked him impatiently.

'It says it's eight fifteen.'

'So, it's morning already,' Miles replied, looking into the dark distance.

'Would Franziska already know we disappeared?' Phoenix asked the prosecutor.

'Well, she will find out when we don't show up at eight thirty,' Miles spoke and pulled his knees to his chest. It felt like it was getting colder. He was glad he was wearing his winter coat. 'But she doesn't know that we're taken hostage, though.'

It felt like time passed slowly. Both men were startled at every sound they heard. It appeared to be the ticking of the radiator pipe behind them. They had conversations, but sometimes both fell silent. Phoenix's empty stomach started growl.

'Ugh,' Phoenix let out and closed his eyes for a moment. 'The last time I ate was yesterday at six in the evening before changing outfits.'

'My stomach feels empty as well,' the prosecutor replied to him.

'They could just let us die here…,' the lawyer then commented.

'That is unlikely, they could have killed us earlier when they attacked us. I am sure they need something from us.' The man with silver hair sighed. 'I knew that going there was a risk,' Miles whispered to himself.

'What would they be after?' Phoenix asked. 'They must have recognized us. Oh wait, no, that gun.' Phoenix commented and sought eye contact with the prosecutor. 'We don't have it, Franziska does.'

'Could very likely be. Or just the fact that we are on their heels and they got sick of us involving ourselves in their criminal affairs,' he answered the lawyer. 'We should hear that from them.'

Ten minutes later, it seemed like sounds were coming from the neighboring room. Both men held in their breaths when they vaguely heard a voice. It was a man's. Somewhere at the other end of the room they were in was some rumbling and the sound of keys was heard. Miles felt Phoenix slightly moving to his side.

By the sound of a cracking door and footsteps they both knew someone was entering. The footsteps seemed to belong to a single person. The darkness made it nerve wracking. Who was coming for them?

Then, the light was turned on. Miles and Phoenix shut their eyes as reflex and tried to open them slowly. When they got used to the light, they saw the figure standing in front of them.

'They are awake,' a man in a black training outfit announced.

Another man, but taller, entered as well. 'Ah yes, I see.'

'You are-!' Phoenix exclaimed, terrified. Another smaller man entered the room via the same door.

'Hello again, Christian and James,' he spoke with a smirk on his face and crossed his arms. 'Although I know that those aren't your real names.'

'You're the boss?'

'Boss?' Valerio let out a loud laugh. 'No.'

'But if you are not the boss, who is?' Miles wanted to know.

'You'll see, _Chief Prosecutor_.'

Miles' eyes grew. He knew his identity. How?!

'You are quite impatient Mr... let's see... ah here.' From a plastic bag he retrieved something. 'Miles Edgeworth. What a difficult name you have.' Valerio read out loud the name in the passport in his hands. Now Miles knew where he had gotten the information from. He swallowed when Valerio said his name.

Everything he had with him was gotten out of his pockets, likely when they were unconscious and put here in this dark place. Cell phone, passport, keys, his Prosecutor's Office ID and his wallet. Franziska gave it all back to them last night when she dropped them off at the hotel. He now wished she didn't…

 _Wait, perhaps Franziska is able to locate our phones where the signal was last picked up. Then it could lead her to us,_ Miles thought.

'And next to you we have Phoenix Wright. You are a lawyer.' Another passport was taken out of the bag. 'Ah, they put your child in here as well with a nice picture. A bubbly looking daughter. Trucy Wright, born in 2011,' the Valerio smirked when he read the information. 'How would she react to you being here because you poked your nose into the business of people you shouldn't mess with? Who knows… perhaps the only thing you'll ever have to remember is this picture because we will never let you go?' Valerio looked up from the official document to the lawyer.

'Don't you dare to speak about my daughter!' Phoenix shouted at him. His eyes showed his anger. He felt Miles' eyes on him from the right side. Valerio just laughed and put it back in the bag Oscar was holding.

 _What do they want to do with this information? What are they after exactly? Why are we taken here?_ Miles inspected the two men. _Valerio seems to be the boss but he denies it._

'Hmm, back to business, Oscar. We've checked everything but it isn't here…,' Valerio murmured. 'Yeah, we did.' Oscar replied. Valerio's face lit up for a moment and then spoke.

'Perhaps they'll tell us more once we play a game.'

'A game?' Miles asked him. He had a uneasy feeling about the word in their current situation.

'Yes, why don't we play a little game? I am sure you must like games, as you like things like going undercover, don't you?'

Phoenix looked up again and saw how Valerio looked at the two expectantly. 'So, what game would you like to play, gentlemen?' he asked. Phoenix silently looked at Miles. Neither of them spoke up.

'No ideas? That is too bad. Well, I will come up with one then,' he said and laughed sadistically. He signed Oscar to come close and whispered in his ear. The smaller man snickered when he heard the words the hostages weren't able to hear. Oscar left the room, only to come back five minutes later.

Valerio watched him re-entering the room and nodded.

'You, Chief Prosecutor!' The man suddenly got out something from his pocket and crouched down. A handgun was pointed at Miles.

Miles flinched at the sudden action. Valerio smirked and crouched down, looking right into the prosecutor's fearful eyes.

'You... will be the main character of this game.'

* * *

 **A/N**

Thank you for reading!

A big thanks to **confusedsiewmai** , who betaread this chapter! It is really appreciated!

The next three chapters will be uploaded soon!


	14. Chapter 14 - 26 February 2029, Part 3

**4 Days**

 **Chapter 14 - 26 February 2029, Part 3**

xxx

'You know, Miles? I really like you. You are my best friend.'

'... Y-you are very bold.'

'I mean it! When you like your friend, you should tell them! Larry is a friend. I like him too, but I like you more. You are really really really my best friend!'

'Erm...'

'You don't consider me your friend?' Sad nine-year-old Phoenix avoided Miles' eyes. He swung his legs back and forth. They sat on a bench of the school yard, waiting for their parents to pick them up as the lessons for today had just ended.

'O-of course, I do! I… I just never really had friends. I…,' Miles tried to explain and looked for the right words somewhere in his mind. It was always him and his father. He never considered someone really his friend. However, after meeting Phoenix, and even Larry -yes, even him- he somehow enjoyed their company. He liked being around not only his father, but also these two classmates. Larry Butz was a trouble in himself. But Phoenix, he was kind, bubbly and naive. His smiles were contagious. His spiky hair was what amazed Miles most. He still could not believe it was his natural hair. Phoenix had explained that he only used a bit of gel, otherwise it would be too spiky and a mess.

'Well, I am your friend now! Right, Miles?' The sincerity in his friend's blue eyes were undeniable.

'Y-yes..'

'And we are going to be friends forever!'

xxx

 _It seems one always starts reminiscing when they know their end is near._ Miles swallowed, despite his mouth being dry.

Valerio held the gun in Miles' direction.

Phoenix gasped at the sight of the gun pointed at his friend. 'Don't! Please!' he cried out, but was then given a kick to his legs.

'Shut up, lawyer.' He then let his gaze fall back on the prosecutor. Phoenix felt Miles' body trembling against his. 'Alright. The rule of this game is very simple. I will save the one you choose, prosecutor. The other one will be shot to death. I told you, you are the main character here,' he snickered. 'You choose.'

Phoenix's eyes grew. _What?! T-this is insane!_

'Go to the next room with your gun, mate.' The smaller man nodded and did what he was told to do by Valerio. Without a reply, he disappeared to next door.

'W-what's in the other room?' Phoenix managed to speak. Valerio could only smirk. 'You'll hear.' A fearful silence fell before a shriek was heard in the other room to where the door led. After a moment, someone began crying loudly. It seemed like a woman. It surprised both hostages and their eyes grew big.

'No, no, don't shoot me, please, I beg you,' she cried out. The despair she felt could be heard in her voice. Miles was terrified and he noticed how his sight faded slightly. He was getting a panic attack. It always began with black spots that appeared in his vision and his view that became fuzzy.

'I will shoot, don't doubt me!' the man shouted loud from behind the thin wall. Phoenix suddenly got this chill down his spine. _I-is this really happening?_

'So, it's up to you to choose one of them. Do you choose to save your friend here or the frightened lady next door? For your information, she is a mother of three young children. We took her hostage a few days ago. Her husband owes us a large amount of money.'

Miles said nothing, locking gazes with the man standing in front of them. _I-I have to choose?! Between the both of them? O-only one will live? I can't make that choice… Phoenix… that woman must also be scared to death. I-is this a game to him?_

'Y-you're playing with lives,' Miles managed to say with a trembling voice. His eyesight was still fuzzy and his breathing became louder.

'Yes, otherwise this wouldn't be an exciting game, right?' Valerio answered.

Phoenix swallowed and felt himself looking down. Miles had to choose between life and death. It is either him or her. Despite not knowing the poor woman behind the wall, he knew that choosing who was to live or die is a horrible choice. These men were pure evil. They were mentally exhausting and torturing them. _Likely in order for us - or him if I don't survive this - to tell all information we've gathered and then dump us when we're both dead._

'Tell me your choice.' The tall man standing in front of them took away the gun from Miles' face and gently stroked it. 'My guns are my babies, you know?' he commented. Then Valerio turned back.

'I will shoot the one you decide not to save. One will die, you know that _Miles_?'

The use of his real first name pushed Miles into a worse state, it made him want to vomit. He noticed he had more and more trouble breathing, like the man was already killing him by strangulation. This mental torture was unbearable. _Who? W-who? I can't choose who is going to live and who is not? I can't…_ Miles suddenly started sobbing.

Phoenix looked up to his friend. The sight of Miles Edgeworth crying was one he had never seen before. The lawyer swallowed and tried to calm himself. _Don't panic, Phoenix! Calm down..._

He turned his body slightly towards Miles, but then something else got his attention. Something was softly pushed against his chest. Something in this inner chest pocket. _Wait, it feels exactly like my... magatama? They didn't get hold of it? They didn't check the inner pocket of my coat?_

Immediately, once he had noticed he still had the stone in his possession, a psyche-lock appeared in front of the man. The sudden visual shocked the lawyer and made a sound in surprise.

Miles and Valerio turned their heads to him, but Phoenix was deeply in thought. _W-What?! This…?! T-the man is lying about something!_ Phoenix quickly cast looks between Valerio and Miles. _Is he lying about shooting one of us? Is he shooting us all before amusing himself with mentally torturing us?_

Phoenix looked right of him at Miles who looked pale and with clear fear in his eyes. He was still trembling. _Miles…_ His lovely Trucy was back in Los Angeles waiting for his return and his stories. His fate was in Miles' hands. If he were the one to choose fate, he wouldn't be able to. That poor woman, her husband, their three children.

 _Think Phoenix! He is lying about something. What? What?! What is he lying about?! I can't tell Miles, otherwise the man could decide to shoot instead of playing mind games. Oh my god, what do I do?_

'I'll give you five minutes. That seems enough. Oh, and perhaps you want to know more about the woman in order to make a fair decision?'

 _Torturing Miles even more by giving more details, this is horrible. I should do something. Do something, Phoenix! But what?!_

'Well, she is married, has three young children like I told you. She will be missed by many they will definitely mourn her death,' the man continued and watched Miles look at him in despair. 'But then there is also your friend. You know him well, I reckon. Plus, he also has a daughter. The poor soul will have no father if you choose the lady. I hope she has a mother to turn to?'

'Stop it! Please stop it!' Miles cried out, tears filling his eyes again. 'Stop it…,' he begged softly.

'Oh my, is the prosecutor having trouble with his choice and conscience?' Valerio was still crouched down in front of the two.

Phoenix watched Miles with big eyes and saw him swallow once before shouting.

'K-kill me instead, p-please! I-I have no children!' The prosecutor let his head hang after he had made his choice known.

 _Miles, stupid fuck! What are you doing?!_ Phoenix wanted to yell at him, and say that Valerio was lying about something.

'That is none of of the choices I've given you. I have given you two options, you choose between those. Her or him,' he pointed at Phoenix at the word 'him'. 'I or Oscar will shoot.'

The psyche-lock that Phoenix saw began shaking right after the man said that sentence. I _s he lying about shooting? Does that mean that he isn't planning on killing anyone? What if he is?_

'Choose!' Valerio shouted at him and now kept his gun aimed at Phoenix. The lawyer pushed himself to the wall as an immediate reaction of fear.

'You can't do this!' Miles cried out, tears rolling down his face.

'Choose or we'll shoot both!'

 _Miles, choose for god's sake! It is now or we will both die! This is real, there are no lies, right?_

Miles seemed to gasp for air and turned his head to Phoenix. His eyes were damp, his cheeks were wet and he had never seen Miles so scared. Death was waiting for them. They knew it was coming. A grim reaper was just waiting around the corner.

'I am asking one last time. Who do you choose, him or her?' The man was annoyed and both heard the sound of the gun cocking. Miles swallowed, tears forming in his eyes again.

'...h-him.'

* * *

 **A/N**

Thank you for reading!

A big thanks to **confusedsiewmai** , who betaread this chapter! It is really appreciated!

Please leave a comment if you liked it :)


	15. Chapter 15 - 26 February 2029, Part 4

**4 Days**

 **Chapter 15 - 26 February 2029, Part 4**

'Is everything alright?' Bianca asked while flipping another page of the file she was reading. In the corner of her eye, she saw Franziska frustratingly typing on Robert Klein's personal laptop.

'No. There is nothing of any importance on the laptop. To be precise, there is not a single document on here.'

'Not a single one?!' Bianca stood up and walked over in order to stand behind Franziska.

'No word, powerpoint, excel, pdf files or anything on his laptop.'

'Could he have erased it all? Did someone else erase it? But why?'

'Let's check when any changes were made and when there was any activity on this laptop.' Bianca followed the mouse on the screen. With a lot of clicks, a window popped up.

'The last activity on this computer was the twenty-first of February.'

'Hm… that is two days before he was murdered.'

'Yes, it seems. And the last program used was… the internet browser,' Franziska read out loud.

'He used internet? What for?' Bianca asked. Franziska then smirked.

'He is clever, and I suspect nothing less than that from an Interpol agent.' With another few mouse clicks she opened the web browser and looked into the history.

'Here.'

'What is it?'

'He worked online. I am sure he was very afraid his laptop and thus files would get stolen.'

'Ah! So he worked in an external cloud?'

'Yes,' she confirmed and opened the last visited site. A login option filled the center of the screen.

'Oh, but we need a username and password.' Bianca bit her lip.

'Check his belongings.' Franziska put the laptop away next to her and looked around the table. Both turned to the table. 'What is that shawl doing here?'

'Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth found this at the crime scene yesterday. The victim had it with him, likely when he was shot. It appears to be a present… for a lady?'

'As far as I know, he did not have a wife. Did he have a lover?' _The receptionist did say that my little brother and that lawyer had their suspicions that he had a girlfriend coming over at the hotel..._

'That is what we all deduced.'

'I have some footage with that woman that I got from the receptionist, but it will likely not be of much help. I'd say we first try to unlock his internet cloud account.'

'Alright, Ms. Von Karma. Perhaps he wrote it down somewhere?'

'I saw two strings of numbers in his notebook,' Bianca told Franziska. 'But the amount of numbers seem more like some kind of bank account number. For a username you don't only use numbers. It is often not even possible.'

'Yes, I don't think that it's his login.'

'Anything else we've found?' Bianca asked and looked through the different plastic bags.

'His agenda..,' Franziska murmured and flipped through it. 'I only see appointments. Nothing else.'

Bianca sighed but then was taken by surprise by the ringtone of her phone.

'This is Bianca Wilson, The Hague Police.'

Franziska listened while arranging the evidence neatly. The rest of the evidence also didn't seem to hold a hint on what Klein's username and password were.

'So you didn't find anything? Yes, alright. Yes, thank you.'

The police officer turned her head in Franziska's direction and showed a small smile.

'That was the German police,' Bianca told her when she hung up. 'They searched Philip Müller's house but they found nothing out of ordinary. Also, the gun was still placed in the safe, like he had claimed. It wasn't fired in a long time.'

Franziska nodded when she heard the information. 'That is good to hear.'

'Yes, it is,' Bianca agreed and glanced at the laptop in front of the female interpol agent and prosecutor. 'So, we cannot get into his online account. What do you want me to do now, Ms. Von Karma?' Bianca asked and shut the file in front of her. She saw how Franziska took the bag with the notebook in her hands.

'Please look up if you can trace both of Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright's phones or their last location. I'll give you their phone numbers,' she told her. Franziska searched through her contact list and copied the numbers on a piece of paper. 'But first, speaking of Philip, I'll talk to him as it's eleven now.' _I need to talk to him. I cannot believe he confessed._ 'Please bring Philip Müller to the interrogation room for me, Ms. Wilson.'

* * *

Franziska stood still in front of the heavy dark painted door for just a few seconds before going inside. This case is not helping both of us, she concluded. She sighed, opened the door and spoke to Bianca.

'You can leave us two alone.'

'Erm, there always needs to be someone to guard, it's protocol.'

'Please leave, Ms. Wilson. I don't care about protocol right now,' the female prosecutor answered slightly irritated.

'But Ms. Von Karma…,' Bianca stuttered.

'There is no need to worry, Ms. Wilson. It won't take long, please check the last location of Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright's phones with the provider for me while I speak to him,' Franziska told her and waited at the exit of the room. Bianca nodded mutely before exiting.

'I know this case is affecting you, me and everyone around us,' Philip spoke up when Bianca had closed the door. Franziska stood in front of the table that separated them. He looked up at her and pointed at the chair opposite of him.

'Please sit down, Franziska.'

She crossed her arms and looked at him with an expression of sadness and anger.

'What's the matter? Sit down and tell me, Franziska,' Philip told her calmly. His calm aura made her explode.

'Why did you confess, you fool!' she yelled at him, tears filling her eyes. 'I-I trusted you!'

Philip watched her in shock. _Franziska never cries. Well, she never had in my presence._

'What are you talking about?' he asked her immediately, frowning and now worried.

'You handed in your confession, you signed it. You-!' she began.

'You speak gibberish. I have no idea what you're talking about, I did nothing of the sort. Why would I confess? I am waiting desperately for my new lawyer to get me out of here. I know she is doing her best, just like Mr. Wright did.'

Franziska let her hands rest on the edge of the back of the chair and glanced at him.

'The Inspector received your written confession early this morning, Philip!'

'Franziska.' His voice was calm, but firm. The woman's eyes met his. 'Trust me like you've always have. You know I would never hurt you or any of my trusted colleagues. I am innocent and thus I will never confess because I have no reason to.' Quietly, Franziska nodded slowly. 'Sit down, alright?' She did as she was told and sat opposite of him. He handed her a handkerchief from his pocket to dry her tears.

'But how did the Inspector get your confession?' she asked him, not understanding what was going on.

'Well, as it is not written by me, it must have been by someone else.'

'That stupid swine,' Franziska hissed. Philip let out a small laugh as he knew exactly who she meant. 'He is more than a hundred percent convinced you killed him. He also made sure Phoenix Wright was already replaced after a single day.'

'It could be that he fabricated it. It wouldn't be the first time I've encountered a corrupt Inspector,' Philip answered.

'I'll confront him after I finish talking to you,' Franziska replied.

'I wonder what he'll say. He'll most likely deny it.'

'We'll see about that,' she told him firmly.

'That's the Franziska I know,' he said and smiled softly. 'We'll figure it all out and I'll ask my lawyer about that confession and if she can withdraw it, alright?' She nodded. 'So, tell me, how is the investigation going?'

'They checked your house in Wiesbaden. Ms. Wilson told me that they didn't find anything that stood out and the pistol was still in your safe. It also had not been fired for a long time.'

'That's right. I had no reason to bring my gun. We would risk too much if we brought it to the criminal gathering.' Franziska's eyes immediately faced down at the mention of that meeting of yesterday. 'Speaking of which, I believe Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth would come by today to inform me about it. You were helping them, right? Did you hear anything yet?' Philip asked her, bowing forward a little. He waited for an answer and two sad eyes looked up at him for a second before he got a reply.

'...They disappeared, Philip.'

'What?' Unconsciously, he leaned back and his eyes widened. 'W-What happened?! When-?!'

'Last night.'

'Wher- during the gathering?!' he asked, still in confusion.

'I dropped them off at their hotel last night after the gathering. I came back this morning to pick them up but they weren't there. They didn't even enter the hotel or their room it seemed.'

'You cannot reach them?'

'No. I've called them, but it goes to the voicemail immediately.'

'They aren't somewhere else?'

'Then where in the world would they be? Also, we agreed to meet at eight thirty this morning. Miles is never late for any appointment.'

'Did something go wrong during their undercover mission?' Philip asked her, worry visible in his eyes.

'I don't really know. There was a poker table and Phoenix Wright won a cosmetic container with cocaine in it. So it is the same criminal drug gang we thought it was.'

'Ah, alright. That sounds good, though.'

'And then that lawyer…,' Franziska sighed.

'Mr. Wright?'

'He went to the bathroom and saw two men they thought were leading the drugs cartel. One of them put down a pistol and an unused bullet on some dresser nearby.'

'And… he took it?' Philip guessed.

'Yes,' she replied.

'Could they have followed and kidnapped or killed them all for the gun? I am sure they have many more. They will likely only go through the length of kidnapping or killing if-,' Philip began.

'-it is the murder weapon,' Franziska ended. Philip nodded.

'But, Franziska, there is no hundred percent guarantee, it could also have been because they knew the two were intruders and that they saw things that they shouldn't have seen.'

'Yes, that could also be the case,' Franziska agreed.

'Where is the gun now?' Philip asked her.

'In the forensic and ballistic marking department, Ms. Wilson brought it there for me. Phoenix Wright gave all the evidence to me when I dropped them off.'

'Make sure you have the results as soon as possible. If it turns out to be all about that gun for them and they know the two don't have it with them...'

Franziska nodded. Yes, it could turn for the worse. _What is their motive? They knew the two of them would infiltrate?_

'Why not go after me?' she then wondered out loud.

'Perhaps they weren't aware you were part of the plot as well? They've only seen Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth at the gathering.'

'Hm, yes, that could be it.'

'...But nonetheless, be on your guard. They could come after you because they find out you have it,' Philip told her and took a breath before continuing. 'So… knowing all this now… do you have a plan set up?'

'We don't know a lot about the killer. The killer could very likely also be the hostage taker. We aren't sure if they are with several, but I do believe so. I do reckon you need at least two people in order to take on both Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright.' Philip nodded.

'Robert Klein did a lot of research here concerning that drugs cartel. So, if we find his information and findings, it could help us to know the killer of the location where they are at,' Franziska said.

'You tried his phone? His laptop?' he suggested.

'One of the bullets went right through his phone during the murder and the data could not be extracted. The laptop on the other hand...'

'You found something?' Philip asked almost excitedly.

'No, but I am nearly there. The laptop itself did not have any documents on it. However…,' she wagged her finger as it seemed the clue was coming right now. 'He used an online account in an cloud to work. I have no idea what we can find there, but all we need now are a username and a password in order to get access.'

'Ah, you need his login information.'

'Indeed. We looked through his personal belongings, but it isn't there.'

'Robert was a clever man. I am sure it is among his belongings, you don't want to lose such information. However, it will not be too obvious. Perhaps I can help. What is among his belongings exactly?'

'This notebook, we think that these numbers mean something.' She got the notebook of of its bag.

'See this?' It was placed right in front of him on the table.

'These numbers…,' Philip thought for a while and then his eyes lit up. 'These numbers, Franziska. I believe the amount of numbers correspond to coordinates. This is a location. The first string of numbers is likely the latitude and the other one the longitude. '

'Of course!' Franziska exclaimed. She now saw it too. 'You're right.'

'It must have been a place that is special to Robert in his investigation. I have no idea. It could even be the place where Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth could have been taken.'

'We'll search what this place is and where it is located.'

'But you didn't find any other numbers or letters that could form some kind of login?'

'No, unfortunately,' Franziska answered and held Philip's gaze.

'I wish I could get out of here and help you right now. Locating your brother and Mr. Wright are top priority right now,' her boss commented.

'But not for that Inspector. Ms. Wilson is helping me with all her might, though.' Philip nodded and carefully held one of her hands that she rested on the table. She silently sat for a few seconds and spoke up.

'I have to get back to her. Ah, and I need to speak to that swine. Time is ticking.'

'I know. This is horrible and you must be worried to death. You can do this, Fransiska. I'm also here when you need to discuss things, you know that, right?' She nodded, looked him right in the eye and gave him a small smile. He let go of her hand and stood up. 'All I can think about is the case, especially now that I know these two have suddenly disappeared. I pray they are alright.'

'Yes… I'll see you later, Philip.'

'Be on your guard, Franziska. Please.' Philip held the door open and waited for Bianca to walk him back to the cells.

* * *

 **A/N**

Thanks for reading!

This story will have 20 chapters and I am quite far already with the chapters 16-20 :D

If you like this chapter or the story, please leave a comment! I appreciate it, thank you!

Thanks to betareader confusedsiewmai who checked this chapter! ^^


	16. Chapter 16 - 26 February 2029, Part 5

**4 Days**

 **Chapter 16 - 26 February 2029, Part 5**

xxx

'Do you want something to drink, sir?' the German stewardess asked him when the small airplane had taken off.

'No,' Miles snapped at her. 'When will we land?'

'Erm, in about eleven and a half hours we'll land in Los Angeles,' she replied quickly and took her leave.

Miles looked outside. It was already night in Europe and he knew that it was almost evening in LA.

 _Why am I so nervous and stressed? Butz could be lying and playing a prank on me. But he said Wright was either dying or could already be dead…_

His sweaty hands gripped the arm rests.

 _I must be crazy. I hired a jet! A private jet! If this is some kind of joke, I'll prosecute that Butz myself and make sure he'll get imprisoned for life!_

Miles sighed. He hated uncertainty. He hated waiting. The prosecutor sat back in his chair and then snorted.

 _Hiring a private jet to see Wright. I must really be crazy. Insane even. I have become far too sentimental. I could have taken a last minute flight in the morning. I didn't. I am.. too… worried? Miles, you're a sentimental fool. Well, that's what Franziska would say. But is it so bad to be worried about someone?_

He looked outside and saw the light of the cities on the earth beneath him.

 _Wright._

He realized how much the man had done for him. He became his lawyer when no one else would. He even believed Miles to be innocent and got him a not guilty verdict. He uncovered the truth and cruelty behind his mentor Manfred von Karma.

Miles swallowed.

He himself had changed so much when living at the Von Karma's in Germany. Be became a ruthless prosecutor. During the trial of Mia Fey's murder he even believed Phoenix was guilty. Fortunately, Miles lost and Phoenix was not charged. Looking back, it was that loss and Phoenix's help and attitude that had changed him. It was _that man_ who opened his eyes. Phoenix had even forgiven him when he came back after lying about his ''suicide''. Miles came to the conclusion that that nine-year old boy Phoenix Wright hadn't changed. He always saw Miles as that good friend and hero who had saved him in the class trial and wanted to repay him. For Miles that class trial was a vague memory, but not for Phoenix.

 _I wouldn't be here if he had not helped me. He became a lawyer for my sake. Now_ I _can't help him. What if he is dead?!_

Upon arriving at the airport in LA, he took a taxi and drove to the hospital. It was around six in the morning when he arrived at the reception desk. He hadn't slept for over thirty-eight hours and Miles knew he looked horrible. Despite the fact that it wasn't visitor's hour, the kind lady saw his despair and told him the room number. Room 312. That is where he found Wright. White as a sheet of paper, but alive. Miles sighed of relief and hoped no one heard that. Worst case scenarios had entered his mind when he sat on the plane for almost twelve long hours. Phoenix was alright and lucky like always.

It was when the nurse had left the room that the injured and sleepy lawyer saw someone in a magenta colored suit near the entrance of the room. Phoenix's mouth fell open.

'E-Edgeworth? Is it really you?' His eyes followed the other man who slowly walked to the bed.

The prosecutor stood still and looked down at Phoenix. He smiled. 'Yes, it's me, Wright.'

'You came all the way from Europe?!' the lawyer asked before he began coughing loudly.

 _I flew over the Atlantic Ocean in a private jet. I threatened a stewardess and a taxi driver. Yes, I am insane… but relieved._

'Yes, I did,' the prosecutor answered and put the hands in his pocket of his coat. It had been a few months that he saw Phoenix for the last time. This wasn't how he imagined their next encounter.

'So...erm… how are you?' The man in the bed asked him while sniffling.

'I'd better ask you that, Wright. Tell me that happened. I am glad to see you are not dying as Butz claimed. You do seem to have quite a cold, though.'

'Well, yeah, I didn't die. I was lucky, I guess. As always.'

Miles nodded. The prosecutor watched his friend cough loudly again and then carefully patted him on the back. He then sat down on an uncomfortable white plastic chair next to the bed and asked his friend about all the details of what happened.

 _Don't make me worried about you dying again, Wright._

xxx

'You choose your friend to live? Well, he is lucky then,' Valerio spoke and stood up from his crouched down position before shouting, 'Shoot her, Oscar!'

Miles closed his eyes. He was curled up into a small ball and sobbed quietly. Phoenix bit his inner lip until it bled.

There was a painful silence before they heard a loud sound next door. And again. Silence. These weren't shots. Someone was… laughing? These sounds were snickers and loud laughs… coming from a female.

'We have played enough now, wouldn't you say?' A woman entered the room and looked in the direction of Valerio and Oscar. She then turned to the two American hostages.

Phoenix looked up. 'You!'

'Me?' the voice asked. Phoenix's shocked face made the person stepping closer snicker. Now Miles immediately lifted up his head too.

'You! Y-you are that lawyer who took over Müller's defense already after one day!' Phoenix let out, quite angrily.

'Oh my, are you so wound up because of that?' Claire asked him with a smirk, sitting on the corner of the table which was standing opposite of the wall the two men were sitting against. She lit a cigarette. 'There are far more important things to worry about now.'

'Who are you exactly? Why are we taken here?! You called me and told me that you'd take care of Müller's case!'

'So many questions,' she laughed and shook her head. 'Calm down, Mr. Wright. First of all, what did you think of our little game? I see the prosecutor liked it very much.'

'You are horrible! Sick! Ill-minded!' Phoenix cried out. Miles was still in the process of calming down and didn't say a word.

'I thought I'd make sure you two know who you are dealing with. This is not some detective game, gentlemen. And well, since you two are going to die anyway, we'd better have some fun, right?' Clair told them.

'S-so, there was no kidnapped woman?' Miles asked softly while looking at her. _Kill?!_ The prosecutor swallowed.

'No, that was me. I'd say my acting skills should be rewarded with an oscar,' she laughed.

Oscar laughed at the pun.

'You did it to torture us,' the prosecutor commented. He was feeling just a little bit better to know that there was no kidnapped woman and it was 'just' a sick game. Still, he was shaking like a leaf.

'I am not planning to kill and dispose of you two...yet.'

'So, you asked me why you are here. Now then, give me the gun. You know what is going to happen when you keep your mouth shut.'

'The gun you used to kill Robert Klein?' Miles asked her, looking up with narrowed eyes.

Claire looked at him contemptuously. 'Where is the gun?!' she hissed. _So it all leads to the gun_ , Phoenix thought.

'They didn't have it on them,' Valerio told her. She turned to him.

'Yes, I know that, so where is it?! I know that it must have been you two!' Claire turned back to the hostages. 'I knew something was up when you told me you had ''business'', Mr. Wright. After we noticed our stuff was gone, I asked Valerio and Oscar whether there were two men coming for the first time.'

'So, you were also at the gathering?' Phoenix asked.

'Yes, but upstairs. I only talk to special guests,' Claire explained.

'You followed us and took us here,' Miles commented.

'You took the gun and the bullet when I was on the telephone in another room,' Valerio replied. 'Claire asked us if there were any guests out of the ordinary. She knew it were you two when we described you. We followed you as quick as we could.'

'So the gun is yours. It must be the gun that you used to kill Klein,' Phoenix then concluded. 'What did the poor man do wrong to get killed with a gun?'

'I have to admit, he was a kind man. A real gentleman. He offered me quite a lot of presents.'

'Robert Klein fell in love with you,' Phoenix spoke. 'He had bought you a very expensive shawl.'

'Yes, he always bought shawls and flowers for me. He wasn't a jewelry man,' she told the two and put out her cigarette by throwing it on the floor and grounding it with her shoe. 'He shouldn't have fallen in love. Look at him now. I knew he was involved in some investigation on our organization, so I wanted to know how much he knew. I purposely bumped into Robert some months ago, told him I was just an average lawyer. We exchanged contact info and I made sure he fell in love by our regular meetings.' She snorted and continued talking. 'Robert trusted me and said that he worked for Interpol and often stayed in that hotel. Well, apparently he trusted me too much. I searched through his stuff each time when I was in his hotel room and he was showering.' Claire smirked, pleased by her own actions.

'I feel so bad for him,' Phoenix muttered.

'I couldn't find anything on his damn laptop, it did not have any files on it.'

'But why kill him that evening? You planned that?' Miles asked and then bit his lip.

'He told me that he would quit his work at interpol, but he needed to report all the information he found to his boss. He told me a few days before he had the appointment. I found his agenda. I saw the arranged time and the name Müller with the name of the hotel and room number.'

'So… you knew they would meet and thus tried to pin the murder on him.'

She smirked but didn't give an answer.

'How did you know his licence plate and what car he was driving?' Miles asked and sat back, trying to make his arms less hurt.

'We knew his hotel and hotel room, that we read in his agenda. That hotel has a system where each hotel room has its own parking space and we saw his Audi at his room number. Renting the same car and duplicating his licence plate was easy peasy.' She crossed her arms. 'I thought it was best to have a witness and being flashed so that it was clear that the police could use that against him.'

 _She is clever,_ Phoenix thought.

'So, are you a real lawyer?' Phoenix asked her, now also slightly worrying about his former client.

'Yes, I am,' Claire told him proudly. 'Everyone depends on me when it comes to money laundering and when members of our group need a lawyer,' she replied. 'That Inspector unknowingly even asked me to become his new lawyer, well, I couldn't say no to that... By the way, I wonder what will happen now that Philip Müller's confession is now officially accepted…'

'What?! You-!' Phoenix now understood what she had done, but was immediately interrupted.

'Enough chit chat… where is the damn gun?!' she yelled at the two, grabbing Oscar's gun from the wooden table. She walked towards the two attorneys, but turned around when the gun's owner spoke up.

'Wait… you two stepped out a car when you arrived at the hotel. It was not a taxi, though,' Oscar commented.

'...You were brought to the hotel by someone else?' Claire asked Miles and Phoenix demandingly. Both kept their mouth shut. She snorted. 'Don't tell me you two had an accomplice for that night?'

'So, who is it?' Valerio asked.

'Is it a man? Do I know him?' She stood in front of the two. 'You two better tell me or I will kill him first!' Claire pointed at Phoenix.

Miles looked at the woman, his lips sealed. _Franziska… please be alright._

'I am not stupid, Mr. Wright, Mr. Edgeworth. I will figure it out.'

No reply. Phoenix knew that Miles wanted to protect his sister… at all costs.

'Is it Bianca Wilson? She seemed more fond of you two than me,' the woman asked demandingly.

 _Bianca!_ Phoenix thought. _Don't go after her, please._

'No…,' Phoenix replied. Miles shot him a glance.

'So you admit to having an accomplice that night?' she laughed.

 _Oh shit!_ Phoenix looked at his friend, whose face was blank but the lawyer knew he had done something stupid.

'Is there a colleague of Philip Müller helping you?' Valerio asked and stepped forward to the two sitting men to intimidate them.

'Let's see… Oh! Wait! Robert Klein did talk about a woman he and Philip Müller worked with regularly at Interpol. He never told me her name. He did talk about an employee who had come with him on the trip, a female,' Claire reasoned. 'I didn't get all the police reports yet. I haven't seen her name.'

'Does she have the gun?!' She walked to Phoenix and grabbed him forcefully on the collar of his coat. 'You better tell me or I order these two to put a beautiful bullet in your skull.'

Miles swallowed. _No, no, we can't tell!_

'Being so silent and nervous. It must be that person.' She let go of Phoenix. 'Alright, then I will figure it out myself, but this works in your disadvantage, gentlemen,' Claire stated and got out her phone from her bag.

'What are you going to do?' Phoenix asked her, not knowing why she needed her phone.

'Ah, hello,' she started talking into the phone.

 _What is she saying? That she has us as hostages?_ Phoenix wondered. She was speaking Dutch.

Phoenix's eyes drifted to Miles. It seemed that the prosecutor tried to have no clear expression on his face. _He does anything to protect Franziska._

It was a short conservation and they saw her hanging up. She smiled with satisfaction.

 _Oh god, has she made plans to dump us? Is she trying to find out if it's Franziska who has the gun?_ Miles thought and swallowed, but the collar of his coat hid that fact.

Without even looking at the two tied men, she turned towards her colleagues and whispered into Oscar's ear. She said the last sentence in a louder volume. 'You know what to do. Follow me later to our destination when you've done your job.'

 _What is he going to do?_ Both Phoenix and Miles questioned both in their mind.

'Yup!' Oscar replied.

'It was a short meeting, just like yesterday but it was nice to have known you two. I'll remember the game we've played,' the short man laughed and he left the room.

 _Have known…,_ the prosecutor thought.

'You're telling us everything, admitting your crimes…,' Miles murmured but loud enough for everyone to hear.

'Because you'll shot and get dumped somewhere today. Perhaps we'll burn your remains, we'll see. You two are in our way so getting rid of you is my only option. You know too much already from the beginning on so I can't ask ransom money.' Claire looked down at them for a few seconds.

'I will come back when we're ready to go. Cherish your final moments together,' she said. With big steps she walked to the exit with Valerio, slammed the door and locked it.

* * *

 **A/N**

FINALLY the truth is revealed! However, Franziska and Bianca still don't know where Miles and Phoenix are and who did it.

Will they be able to save them?

If you like this story, please comment :) Thank you, I appreciate it!

A big thanks to confusedsiewmai for betareading this chapter!


	17. Chapter 17 - 26 February 2029, Part 6

**4 Days**

 **Chapter 17 - 26 February 2029, Part 6**

'So these are two GPS coordinates...,' Franziska murmured to herself, looking at the numbers in the small book.

'Did Mr. Müller say that?' Bianca asked as she could hear the female prosecutor's words.

'Yes, latitude and longitude. I wonder what the location is. Could it be where Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright are?' she spoke to the police officer.

'I'll search the place.' Bianca sat behind the computer in the small room and typed in the two strings of numbers. She then looked at the next page. 'The other page with the squares and such seems like some kind of map.'

'And?' Franziska asked impatiently, walking over.

'It's searching.' The screen showed a sandpiper and Franziska tapped her foot on the carpet.

'Here.' A window popped up. 'It's not far from here. Scheveningseweg.' Bianca clicked on a map that showed the city of The Hague area. 'The dot shows the location of the coordinates we found.'

'Where is this police station?' Franziska asked her, coming closer to the screen.

'There, so like I said it is close.' Bianca showed her the location.

The female prosecutor nodded. 'And the hotel where Robert Klein, Miles Edgeworth and Phoenix Wright stayed?'

'Ah, that shouldn't be far from there too. Let's see… it should be around here,' Bianca answered and pointed at a certain street.

'That is also very close,' Franziska murmured.

'Yes, I estimate it takes ten minutes to get to the Scheveningseweg.'

'So… what is so special about that location that Robert Klein writes it down?'

'I really don't know…,' the police officer replied and shrugged.

'What side of the hotel was his room again?' Franziska asked her.

'West, so this side,' she said. Bianca then opened her mouth slightly and her eyes grew big. 'The binoculars!'

'Those?' Franziska pointed at the bag laying nearby on the table.

'Robert Klein always asked for the same hotel room. Everyone thought it was just for the beautiful view... but it wasn't,' Bianca commented and turned to the other woman.

Franziska smirked slightly. 'He simply watched his target with his high quality binoculars. How smart.'

'I remember that Mr. Edgeworth said that he found it strange the man had these binoculars.'

'He did?' Franziska muttered and sat down.

'Robert Klein was watching something on that location.' Bianca pointed at the drawn square in the notebook that she thought meant the hotel. 'But what and who was he watching?' her finger moved to another square. The location of the coordinates. It was clear now that Robert Klein's drawing was a map.

'The drugs cartel. Something was going on there. You take a look what kind of place it is, before we plan to go there,' Franziska told her.

'I can use google maps and street view, we can see right away, Ms. Von Karma,' Bianca answered.

'Splendid.' The screen now showed a close up of a street. A posh looking street to say the least. Large-sized detached houses or mansions with expensive looking cars on their driveways. It was a very long, straight road.

'This does not seem very criminal-like, in my opinion,' Bianca said while shifting her mouse left and right to be able to see the whole street. It took her quite a while as the street was over two kilometers long.

'From that side of the hotel room, only this part of the street can be seen, I think. After the crossroad, it would be quite a challenge or impossible,' Bianca commented. 'Here there are some companies active in those buildings that could be visible from the hotel.'

'Yes, I see,' Franziska said. 'A broker, vet and a law firm in this short part of the street. The rest of the houses seem to be residential houses.'

'Yes, it seems that way,' Bianca replied and looked up to Franziska.

'See whether you can find anything else on that street while I watch the video files I got from the receptionist of the hotel this morning. We need to know for certain that that is the place. If so, we can't go alone and we need to arrange a special team,' Franziska told her.

'Inspector Koning won't give me permission, I'm afraid,' Bianca told her disappointingly. 'I can try, but..'

'That swine isn't worthy of his position! He is not going to decide about my actions!' Franziska let out. She then took a breath and continued speaking with a normal volume. 'We can first drive along that road to see if we see something unusual. If so, we can ask your colleagues to come. Please ask a few of them for assistance. I have no idea whether we will find them there, but we better be prepared.'

Bianca looked at her and nodded. 'Yes, ma'am!'

* * *

Franziska redid her hair in a bun while keeping her eyes the screen of the computer she was given. She was full of adrenaline. _Where were they? Where?_ She had to talk and cross-examine that Inspector Swine, but first the video file with that woman in the hotel needed to be watched. Behind her, Franziska heard Bianca on the telephone.

'Ah, hello Ms. Halvemaan. Oh you want to know the name of the female colleague of the defendant? Is that not included in the police reports?' She turned her head towards Franziska. 'Oh, well, Ms. Franziska von Karma is currently with me at the station. She is a colleague of Mr. Philip Müller,' the police woman explained. 'Yes, that's her name. If you have some questions, you can come by. No problem. Bye.'

'Who was it?' Franziska asked while her eyes were still glued to the screen.

'Ms. Halvemaan. She wanted to know your name. She asked about you.'

'Is she visiting us?'

'I don't know. It doesn't seem like she is. She just asked about your name. Nonetheless, I told her we are at the police station.'

'Alright. Did you hear anything from the mobile phone provider?'

The police computer gave a sound. 'Well, _that_ must be an email with more information!'

'Let's see….' Bianca clicked and opened the mail. 'Erm... they cannot give me an exact location. Both phones are currently turned off and do not give a signal. They can only tell me that the last signals were traced around the western side of The Hague.'

Franziska sighed in frustration. 'The hostage takers have immediately turned off their phones,' she concluded.

'Their hotel is also located in the west. It could be turned off already there,' Bianca thought out loud. 'They could be take somewhere very different.'

'What about that location we are going? Is that also on the western side?' Franziska asked her.

'Erm… yes! I do believe so!'

'When are your colleagues coming so we can leave for the location?'

'They are at an emergency site. I contacted them and they said they would get to us as fast as possible.' Franziska just nodded as an answer. She couldn't sit still. Hours had passed by already. She just wanted to leave. It was the only location they could think of they could be. _What happened to them?_ _Were they still alive?_ She bit the nail of her thumb and decided it was best to investigate the video of the hotel.

Franziska sped up the video a little, but indeed, the one single camera near the entrance confirmed that the prosecutor and lawyer had not entered the hotel that night. She started the other CCTV video of the hotel, recorded days earlier. It took a minute before she saw her old colleague Robert Klein enter the hotel and passing the reception. An average looking lady followed him. The only that stood out was her hat. It was quite big. Wearing high heels, she followed Robert to the elevator and he put a hand on her back and guided her inside. The video ended shortly after that.

'I can't see a damn thing,' she swore and rewinded back to the moment the woman passed the reception. The black and white video continued, but despite her efforts the woman's face was not visible. The irritated female prosecutor sighed again in frustration and turned around in her swivel chair.

She eyed Robert Klein's laptop that lay on the table a meter away. _I need to know what is on there._ _A username and a password. The username isn't his name, his agent code, his nickname… Do I need to think out of the box? If I were let's say a normal person I'd likely choose a nickname or anything related to me or any hobby. Robert isn't ordinary. He wouldn't do that._

She paused the video on the computer and walked over to the table. _It's worth a try, right?_ Franziska opened the notebook again and typed in the first string of numbers in the box for username. The next box was filled with the other numbers that were originally from the coordinates. She then added four letters, two to each string of numbers. _Robert is not a fool._ Her finger floated above the enter key.

It was pressed and the site loaded. Franziska held her breath. Then a header appeared: _Welcome, Robert!_ Underneath appeared a document with a title that seemed everything but interesting. _Weird and boring titles intrigue me, Robert._ She smirked and clicked on the document with the title 'Packlist for travel to Italy'.

'I got in,' Franziska announced when Bianca walked towards her.

'But how?' Bianca was clearly confused, as could be seen on her face.

'I used the numbers we thought were bank account numbers. They are coordinates, but his login at the same time. I only had to add LA for latitude and LO for longitude in front of those numbers.'

'Well, he is smart,' Bianca commented. 'Well done.'

'Let's see if I can find something useful on his computer.' Franziska read through the document with the packlist for Italy. As suspected, it had nothing to do with holidays or Italy.

'I read here that he discovered that there are two men at the top of this drug organization, but there is also a 'boss', however, he has no idea what their names are,' Franziska said. 'Phoenix Wright and Miles Edgeworth also spoke about a 'boss', but they didn't meet this person. They did meet two men…' _Should we be looking for them?_

'I am sure they met quite some people there at the gathering,' Bianca said to her.

'Hmm,' Franziska thought and tapped with her hand on the mouse.

'Shall I take a look at the hotel CCTV video of that lady as well?' the female police officer then proposed.

'Be my guest,' Franziska replied and handed her the USB stick. 'Then I'll look into Robert Klein's document.'

Bianca opened the video on her own computer.

'This woman, I feel like I've seen her somewhere. I can't see her properly, but her figure does seem familiar...'

'That is what I mean with not clear. I cannot see her face.' Franziska pounded her fists on the table in frustration. She took a breath and spoke up, but Bianca's computer made another sound.

'You have another email,' she announced. Bianca nodded and took another look at the screen.

'Oh! It's the ballistic department.'

'And?'

'Mr. Wright was right.'

'This is no time for-,' Franziska answered in annoyance.

'No, I mean to say… that the gun is the murder weapon. It was used to kill Robert Klein! The ballistic marks match! '

Franziska stood up.

'So, they are likely after that gun that we have in our possession.'

'Yes, that seems like it to me. Ah, and they have found several sets of fingerprints. Those of three different people, to be precise.'

'Have they found a match in the databank?' Franziska asked and approached the sitting police officer.

'Yes, one of the prints belong to a mister Oscar Veenstra. Let's see… he was released two years ago after a sentence of eight years for domestic violence, inflicting grievous bodily harm on a person and fraud. The other people… are unknown.'

'Phoenix Wright must be one of the other two persons.'

'But who is the last person?' Bianca asked.

'We have a lead. We know at least one of the people who have hold this gun. This Oscar Veenstra could be our killer. We also have this other man that Robert Klein talks about on the computer and the boss. I wonder who this third person is… it could be one of these two ,' Franziska mumbled, but then thought of something else. 'Before we are going, I am going to your boss about the confession report. That swine, I don't trust him at all.' She was ready to walk to the door, but Bianca stopped her by grabbing her arm.

'Erm, do you want me to ask about the confession, Ms. Von Karma? I know you are upset and-'

'I am not upset! That foolishly foolish swine is part of this pact, it is all rigged! If I see his face, I'll probably whip him to death!'

'Erm, that's why I think it's better that I ask about it… alone. Please, calm down-'

'I am perfectly calm!' Franziska snapped. Bianca looked at her for a moment and then stood up.

'I'm going to the Inspector now. Alone,' the police officer said without waiting for a reply. She put her ponytail right and left the room, leaving Franziska behind.

* * *

'Come in.' Inspector De Koning looked up from some papers. 'What is it, Bianca? Has that stupid woman finally left?'

'We got back the results of the ballistic department. The gun that Mr. Wright retrieved from the gathering is indeed the murder weapon. Three sets of fingerprints were found on it. One belongs to a Oscar Veenstral, one we believe belongs to Phoenix Wright and the other… we don't know.'

'Oscar Veenstra? Hmpf!'

'You know this man, sir?' Bianca asked surprised.

'A case years ago. I arrived at his house when the neighbors had called. He had beaten his wife, she fell of the stairs. She is paralyzed now. Children are traumatized. I arrested him when I wasn't a inspector yet. I remember he was involved in other criminal activities as well.'

'He could be the killer of Robert Klein.'

'To whom to these third prints belong to?'

'There is no match in the database.'

'Hm.'

'Erm, sir, we have found a location where Mr. Wright and Mr. Edgeworth could be held hostage. We are not sure though. They could be anywhere. But…'

'You are planning to go there?'

'We will wear bullet-proof vests and such. I have asked a few other police officers to assist me.'

'They could be heavily armed. You may have one of their guns, the murder weapon, but that doesn't mean that they are now not armed.'

'I know that, sir.'

The Inspector groaned and messaged his forehead.

'Mr. Müller can't be the killer, sir. I know he isn't!' Bianca told him, looking his right in the eye.

'Then why the hell would he ask his lawyer to submit his confession?!' he asked her, his voice revealing his frustration.

'Wait, you mean that you didn't…,' Bianca began.

'I didn't what?!' the man asked her, clearly annoyed.

'You got the confession from his lawyer, Ms. Halvemaan?' she asked.

'Yes, she stopped by the police station this morning, gave it to me and then left again.'

Bianca's eyes grew big and she had to sit down on the closest chair. 'What?!' The woman looked at her boss, breathing fast. 'N-no, that can't be,' she stuttered. _The law firm at the Scheveningseweg… the woman in the CCTV video… her agreeing to become his lawyer… her submitting his confession..._

'Bianca! Tell me what is wrong this instant!' her boss ordered her and stood up when seeing his subordinate looking at him with a horrific expression. The loudness of his voice attracted another person to enter the office. Franziska had waited outside the door and listened to the conversation. She walked in and stood next to the sitting Bianca and opposite of Inspector De Koning.

'I think you are right, Ms. Wilson,' Franziska softly said. 'We have been blinded. The person played it very well.'

'What nonsense are you two talking about?!' The frustration and anger was clearly expressed by his face.

Franziska crossed her arms and squinted her eyes. 'We know who is behind all this. We need to leave as soon as possible.'

* * *

'Shall we take our leave? I received a text message from a few colleagues that they will help us and are finished at the emergency site. They're coming with two police cars.'

'Alright, the two of us will use my rented car and take a look first before they follow us into the street.'

'First wear this bulletproof vest, just in case, I'll do the same. We never know,' the police woman told her and in one of the lockers in the room she found two vests. Franziska nodded and grabbed one.

'This could be dangerous, Ms. Wilson. Please tell your colleagues to be careful.' Franziska watched her turn around when she had put on her vest.

'They know that we take precautions, it will be fine. I hope we can find them.' Bianca put her gun into place. 'Have you ever had shoot-training?' she then asked Franziska.

'Yes, I had at Interpol. Everyone at our department gets training once a year. I am perfectly able to shoot targets.'

'Then here, I trust that you handle this well.' A black police pistol was put in her hands. Their eyes met and it was clear that Bianca had clear faith in her. 'I am not allowed to give this to non-police officers. My job depends on this, but I trust you.'

The Interpol agent nodded slowly. She had no idea what was going to happen. Perhaps they were searching in the wrong direction, but the location was the only real clue they had.

'Thank you, Bianca.' A little and slightly nervous smile appeared on Franziska's face.

* * *

 **A/N**

It's been a while since I last updated this story. I was preparing for an important test I had this week.

It went well and now I have time to finish this story :) Finally holidays!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, power girl action is coming!

Thanks to _confusedsiewmai_ for betareading this chapter!

See you in the next chapter, pals ^^


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